No NIL deals, no shiny stadium, and certainly no private jets—until now. Yet against all odds, the Murray State Racers have muscled their way to Omaha for the first Men’s College World Series appearance in program history. Their underdog story is one built not on glitz, but grit, tarp duty, and an unshakable belief in each other.
The dream begins with cup holders
For Murray State outfielder Dan Tauken, the true sign of success wasn’t a trophy or a TV deal—it was a cup holder. After spending the regular season crisscrossing the Midwest in buses, eating Panda Express and Jimmy John’s with nowhere to put a drink, a private jet to Omaha—with aisle seats and snacks every 30 minutes—felt like luxury beyond imagination.
“It was awesome,” Tauken said. “We finally felt like people are acknowledging the work we’ve been putting in, and it feels good.” The Racers’ improbable journey to the Men’s College World Series (MCWS) has earned them more than better travel arrangements—it’s earned them national respect. Set to face No. 15 UCLA in the tournament’s opening round, Murray State has become just the fourth No. 4 regional seed to reach Omaha since the postseason field expanded in 1999. In NCAA basketball terms, it’s akin to a 14- or 15-seed storming into the Elite Eight.
Where facilities lack, culture fills the gap
Murray State isn’t a program dripping in prestige or budget. Their stadium seats just 800, the scoreboard is fading, and the outfield fences have gaping holes. Just beyond the outfield wall? A Lowe’s. And when it rains, the right field becomes a small lake.
“We had to play against Southern Illinois when the outfield was basically a pool,” Tauken recalled. “Every step you took, the water would splash up. It was kind of fun… a little bit dangerous, but fun.” Players handle the tarp duty themselves, often rolling it out and pulling it back multiple times in a single day. There are no frills, no handouts—just a collective commitment to compete and improve. “They don’t focus on what we don’t have,” head coach Dan Skirka said. “They just get to work.”
Momentum, matchups, and belief
So how did a team from a small school in Kentucky end up storming through the postseason? According to Skirka, it’s part momentum, part belief—and a little history. The Racers entered the NCAA tournament as Missouri Valley Conference champions and drew what they believed to be a favorable regional assignment against No. 10 Ole Miss. Familiarity helped—Murray State had beaten the Rebels in a 15-inning epic last year and pushed them to the edge earlier this season. Even after a crushing 19–8 loss in Oxford, the Racers regrouped, stunned the Rebels 12–11, and moved on.
From there, they took down Duke in the Durham Super Regional. It was a gauntlet of traditional powers, and Murray State stood tall. “Baseball’s about people and relationships,” Skirka said. “These kids love to play and love to compete with each other… and obviously they’ve gotten hot here in the postseason, and they rode it.”
“It still doesn’t feel real”
Outfielder Jonathan Hogart stood in the halls of Charles Schwab Field, brushing shoulders with players from college baseball’s bluebloods. As he glanced around at the banners and bright lights, he admitted it hadn’t quite sunk in. “Absolutely not,” Hogart said when asked if he imagined this back in January. “It’s always a dream.”
As a kid, he’d sit on his couch in June and watch the College World Series, marveling at the players on TV who “looked like celebrities.” Now, he’s one of them—if still a bit in disbelief. “It takes a lot of luck and a lot of grit,” he said. “And also a really talented team, which we have.”
After landing in Omaha, the team went straight to Charles Schwab Field—24,000 seats wide, a world apart from their usual 800-seat digs. Skirka didn’t say a word as the team walked in. He wanted the moment to speak for itself. “This is pretty cool, Dad,” his 9-year-old son Keegan whispered as he stood next to him.
Saturday is for believers
Despite the awe and the unlikely road that brought them to Omaha, the Racers are clear-eyed heading into Saturday’s matchup. Tauken, who was stopped by autograph seekers in the stadium tunnel the day before, caught himself gazing up at the lights and seats more than once—but his focus remains sharp.
“They do take care of the puddles,” he joked. And while there won’t be any waterlogged outfields or makeshift dugouts in Omaha, the Racers are bringing their small-program toughness with them. No one expected Murray State to be here. Not in January, not after the regular season, and certainly not after landing in Ole Miss’s regional. But here they are. In a stadium 29 times bigger than their own. With cup holders. And a belief that’s held up better than any scoreboard.
They may not have the gear, the facilities, or the headlines—but Murray State has heart, hustle, and one hell of a story. And in Omaha, sometimes that’s enough.
