Murray State baseball dropped Game 1 of the Durham Super Regional on Saturday, but two days later, has punched its ticket to Omaha.
The Racers defeated Duke 5-4 on Monday, earning their first trip to the College World Series in program history. With the win, Murray State becomes only the fourth No. 4 seed to ever reach the CWS, joining Oral Roberts, Stony Brook and Fresno State.
Leadoff hitter Jonathan Hogart led the charge for the Racers, going 2 for 5 with two solo home runs. Murray State finished with 10 hits and three home runs on the night, as Luke Mistone also launched a solo home run.
Murray State is the eighth and final team to punch its ticket to the CWS, and it will face No. 15 UCLA in the first round on Saturday.
Here are the highlights from the Racers’ upset win on Monday:
Duke vs Murray State baseball super regional score
| Teams | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | F |
| Murray St | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Duke | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
Duke vs Murray State baseball highlights
Here are the top highlights from Murray State’s win on Monday:
Murray State wins it, advances to CWS
Murray State wins it, advancing to the College World Series for the first time in program history. Graham Kelham completes the 2 2/3-inning save, throwing 47 pitches and striking out four hitters.
Duke down to final out
Murray State nearly turns a game-winning double play, but Ben Miller beats out the throw, which was confirmed after review.
Duke with a runner on first base with two outs.
Duke down to final three outs
Duke 1-2-3 hitters are coming up in the bottom of the ninth inning, as it trails 5-4. Graham Kelham is heading back out for the save opportunity.
Macon Winslow gets a run back
Macon Winslow hits a line-drive home run to left field, which trims Duke’s deficit to 5-4 in the bottom of the eighth inning. That was the Blue Devils’ first hit since the fourth inning.
Winslow’s hit was crushed, as the ball traveled over 108 miles per hour.
James Tallon escapes jam
James Tallon, facing bases loaded with no outs, gets two strikeouts and a groundout to get out of the top of the eighth inning and keep the score at 5-3. Duke stays within range and still has a chance here.
Murray State with bases loaded
James Tallon walks back-to-back hitters to load the bases with no outs in the top of the eighth inning. Murray State could blow the score open here.
Murray State extends lead
Dan Tauken’s standup triple extends the lead to 5-3, as his hit scores Will Vierling from first base. Duke reliever James Tallon, who entered to face Vierling, hit Vierling with a pitch in the previous at-bat.
Luke Mistone gives Murray State lead
Here comes Murray State. Luke Mistone gives the Racers a 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth inning after hitting a solo home run to left field.
Racers on the doorstep of Omaha.
Kelham slams the door
Graham Kelham comes in and strikes out the two batters he faces in the seventh inning. Murray State and Duke still tied at 3-3 heading into the eighth inning.
Murray State plays matchup game
Dylan Zentko forces a groundout from AJ Gracia, a fellow left-hander, and that’s all he’s asked to do, as Murray State turns to Graham Kelham after Zentko throws only four pitches in the seventh inning.
Kelham, a right-handed reliever, has a 4.46 ERA in 40 1/3 innings this season. He also has eight saves on the year.
Murray State turns to Dylan Zentko
Murray State going to left-hander Dylan Zentko, who has a 4-1 record with a 4.41 ERA this season. Reese Oakley finishes the night after 3 1/3 innings, allowing one hit, which was a solo home run.
Murray State ties it
Jonathan Hogart absolutely crushes a home run over the left-field fence, with the ball traveling over 413 feet, according to the broadcast. Murray State needed that.
The home run is Hogart’s second of the night, and the home run ties the game at 3-3 in the top of the seventh inning.
Duke still leads 3-2 after fifth inning
Reid Easterly has made easy work of Murray State in relief, allowing a hit and a walk in two innings of work, forcing plenty of soft contact. Reese Oakley has also been solid in relief for the Racers in 2 1/3 innings, not surrendering a hit since the solo home run in the fourth inning.
Duke turns to Reid Easterly in relief
Henry Zatkowski’s night is done, as he pitches three consecutive scoreless innings after allowing Murray State’s only two runs in the first inning.
Zatkowski’s final line: Two runs on five hits and one walk with seven strikeouts across four innings.
Dustin Mercer robs a potential home run
What a play by Dustin Mercer, as the Murray State right fielder robs a potential home run that would’ve given Duke a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Huge play for the Racers.
Duke takes 3-2 lead on solo home run
Jake Berger gives Duke its first lead of the game, as the Blue Devils lead 3-2 after his solo home run to center field. Murray State reliever Reese Oakley left that pitch right over the middle.
Henry Zatkowski is dominating
Zatkowski puts up another zero, as he strands a runner and picks up his sixth and seventh strikeouts of the game in the fourth inning. Duke and Murray State are still tied at 2-2, but the Blue Devils left-hander is settling in nicely now.
Duke ties it
Jake Hyde demolishes a pitch over the right-field fence with one out in the bottom of the third inning to tie the game at 2-2. Kane Elmy’s pitch just got a bit too much plate, and it appears his night is over.
Zatkowski, Elmy put up zeros
Henry Zatkowski strikes out his fifth hitter of the game in the third inning, putting up another zero. Zatkowski looks good since his first-inning struggles.
Henry Zatkowski settling in
Henry Zatkowski looks much better in the second inning, as he gets a pair of strikeouts to hold Murray State scoreless in the frame. Zatkowski is up to four strikeouts already.
Duke gets a run back
Jake Hyde flies out to right field, which is deep enough to score Wallace Clark from third base. Duke trims deficit to 2-1 with one out, but that’s all it gets as Kane Elmy gets out of the inning despite issuing two walks.
Duke with runners at the corners
Leadoff hitter Wallace Clark draws a walk, before AJ Gracia lines a single to center field to put runners on first and third with no outs.
Duke looking to get a few runs back in the early going.
Henry Zatkowski escapes the bases-loaded jam, as he gets a strikeout and a groundout to keep the score at 2-0. Duke avoids a huge deficit early.
Murray State with 5th hit of inning
Murray State came out swinging, as five of its first six batters have reached base with hits against Henry Zatkowski. The Racers have the bases loaded with one out here in the top of the first inning, and Duke has started to get its bullpen warm.
Murray State plates another run
Carson Garner nearly goes deep, launching a double off the right-field wall with one out. Dom Decker then plates Garner in the next at-bat, as his single to center field makes it 2-0 Murray State in the top of the first inning.
Great start for the Racers.
Murray State strikes early
It didn’t take long for Murray State to take a 1-0 lead, as Jonathan Hogart launches a leadoff home run to left field. Hogart is up to 21 home runs on the season and gives the Racers an early edge.
Duke-Murray State starting pitchers
Freshman left-hander Henry Zatkowski is getting the start for Duke against Murray State’s Kane Elmy.
Zatkowski has a 4.85 ERA this season in 55 2/3 innings and allowed two earned runs with four strikeouts across 4 2/3 innings in his last outing against Oklahoma State in the Athens Regional.
Elmy, a right-handed senior, has a 4.33 ERA in 54 innings this season. He faced Ole Miss in the Oxford Regional and allowed four runs in 2 1/3 innings.Murray State baseball lineup today
- CF Jonathan Hogart
- RF Dustin Mercer
- 3B Carson Garner
- 2B Dom Decker
- 1B Luke Mistone
- C Will Vierling
- LF Dan Tauken
- DH Nico Bermeo
- SS Conner Cunningham
Duke baseball lineup today
- SS Wallace Clark
- CF AJ Gracia
- 3B Ben Miller
- 1B Jake Hyde
- DH Ben Rounds
- LF Tyler Albright
- C Macon Winslow
- 2B Jake Berger
- RF Kyle Johnson
What time does Duke vs Murray State baseball start?
- Date: June 9
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Where: Jack Coombs Field (Durham, North Carolina)
Duke and Murray State are scheduled for a 7 p.m. ET first pitch at Jack Coombs Field in Durham, North Carolina for the third game of the Durham Super Regional.
What TV channel is Duke vs Murray State baseball on today?
- TV channel: ESPN
- Streaming options: ESPN app | ESPN+
Game 3 of the Durham Super Regional between Duke and Murray State on June 9 will air on ESPN. Clay Matvick (play-by-play) and former MLB all-star Gregg Olson (analyst) will be on the call.
Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app, which requires a valid cable login) and ESPN+, ESPN’s subscription streaming service.
Watch Duke vs Murray State baseball live with ESPN+
UCLA vs UTSA baseball predictions, picks, odds
Odds from BetMGM
- Spread: Duke, -2.5
- Over/under: 16.5 runs
- Moneyline: Duke, -250 | UTSA, +190
Prediction: Duke 8, Murray State 2
The deeper an NCAA tournament series goes, the more it often favors the deeper and more talented team. That should be Duke, despite a spirited push from Murray State, including a 19-run effort on June 8.
NCAA baseball schedule
The 2025 NCAA baseball tournament began on May 30 with the regional round of play. The tournament’s now in the super regional round, which began June 6 and will run no later than June 9. The super regionals are eight different best-of-three series, with the winners advancing to the College World Series, which will begin on June 13. The double-elimination tournament will run through June 22 or 23, depending on whether the best-of-three championship series goes two or three games.
Here is more detailed look at the latest college baseball schedule and NCAA Tournament bracket update.
- Regional round: May 30-June 2
- Super Regional round: June 6-9
- College World Series: June 13-22/23
- CWS finals: June 21-22/23