MURRAY, Ky. – After rain postponed all games on Friday (day three) of the 2026 Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Championship, play resumes Saturday at 11 a.m. (CT) as top-seeded UIC (25-27-1, 16-8 MVC) will be facing off against No. 3 seed Murray State (33-25, 15-9 MVC) to open the semifinal round from Johnny Reagan Field at Taylor Family Park in Murray, Ky.
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The game will be streamed on The Valley on ESPN/ESPN+ and live stats will be available at UICFlames.com. Â Fans attending the game will be receive free admission.
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SCOUTING MURRAY STATE
- This will be the 15th match-up between the programs, with UIC holding a 9-5 overall lead in the series.
- Last time the two teams met, UIC secured a series sweep back home at Curtis Granderson Stadium April 10-12. Senior Will Flanigan and junior Alexander Wright each collected five hits in the series.
- In this year's MVC Tournament, after taking care of sixth-seeded Illinois State, 6-4 in a first-round game that wrapped up in the early morning hours of Thursday, the Racers came back to defeat No. 2 seed Indiana State, 3-2 in the second round in front of the roaring crowd later that evening.
- Jacob Hustedde had an incredible outing on the mound Thursday night against the Sycamores, going 7.1 innings for the Racers, allowing just a pair of earned runs, two hits, two walks and striking out eight en route to earning the win.
LAST TIME OUT – vs. NO. 4 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
- Southern Illinois could not find an answer for UIC Thursday afternoon in a second-round MVC Tournament matchup, as the Flames defeated the Salukis, 11-1 in seven innings.
- Junior Mason Lei collected his second complete game of the season, pitching seven innings, allowing five, one earned run and eight strikeouts in a 96-pitch performance.
- Four Flames collected a home run in the win: Flanigan and the junior trio of Jake Busson, Thomas Curry and Ashton Kampa.
- Curry, Busson and Flanigan all finished with multi-hit games in the win.
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