Tuesday, April 7
Martin, Tenn.
4 p.m.
UT Martin
vs
Murray State
Skyhawks Host Former OVC Rival Murray State Tuesday at Home
4/6/2026 5:38:00 PM | Softball
MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin softball team returns to Bettye Giles Field Tuesday for a non-conference outing against former Ohio Valley Conference foe Murray State at 4 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with play-by-play from Chris Brinkley and analysis from Eddie Suiter.
About The Skyhawks
The Skyhawks are coming off a rain-shortened series at OVC-leaders Eastern Illinois in which they went 1-1 and snapped the Panthers' 12-game conference win streak. UT Martin is currently in sole possession of second place in the OVC standings and will host Western Illinois this weekend.
Multiple Skyhawks currently lead the OVC in various individual statistical categories. Sami Scholtz currently sports the league's lowest ERA at 2.87, to go along with a 6-4 record, two saves, 50 strikeouts, and an opponent's batting average of .203. Offensively, Carly Ward leads four Skyhawks batting over .300 with the league's second-best batting average at .415. In the power categories, Avary Makarewicz leads the OVC in home runs and RBIs at eight and 36, respectively, and has the second-highest slugging percentage in the league at .720. On the base paths, Kennedy Brown is tied for the most stolen bases in the OVC at a perfect 16-for-16.
As a team, the Skyhawks are currently batting 289 and have the best ERA in the league at 4.34. They are currently 20th in the nation in total stolen bases (70) and 30th in stolen bases per game (1.84). Additionally, UT Martin ranks 14th in Division I with 14 triples and 18th nationally with 0.37 triples per game. The Skyhawk pitching staff is currently second in the nation in hit batters, striking just four opponents so far this season.
About The Racers
Murray State enters Tuesday's contest at 15-18 and 7-6 in the Missouri Valley Conference, winning two out of three games this past weekend on the road at UIC.
As a team, Murray State hits .276 on the season, while opponents hit .272 against them. Kynadee Warner currently leads the Racers at the plate with a .360 batting average, while Alli Waldron is just behind at .358. Kenley Minor is hitting .311 on the season and leads Murray State in home runs (5) and RBIs (24).
In the circle, the Racers have a team ERA of 4.11 and a WHIP of 1.50, average 4.23 strikeouts per seven innings and have a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 1.44. Bre Haislip has served as the ace for Murray State this season and is 7-5 on the year with a team-low ERA of 2.83, a team-high 54 strikeouts and an opponent's batting average of .236. Meanwhile, Karlye Garber is 5-5 with an ERA of 3.98, 47 strikeouts and an opponent's batting average of .277.
The Series With Murray State
Murray State leads the overall series with the Skyhawks, 21-18. Tuesday will be the third meeting between the two teams since the Racers left the OVC at the end of the 2022 season with the Skyhawks winning in Martin in 2024 and the Racers winning in Murray last season. In Martin, the all-time series is tied at 10 games each.
About The Skyhawks
The Skyhawks are coming off a rain-shortened series at OVC-leaders Eastern Illinois in which they went 1-1 and snapped the Panthers' 12-game conference win streak. UT Martin is currently in sole possession of second place in the OVC standings and will host Western Illinois this weekend.
Multiple Skyhawks currently lead the OVC in various individual statistical categories. Sami Scholtz currently sports the league's lowest ERA at 2.87, to go along with a 6-4 record, two saves, 50 strikeouts, and an opponent's batting average of .203. Offensively, Carly Ward leads four Skyhawks batting over .300 with the league's second-best batting average at .415. In the power categories, Avary Makarewicz leads the OVC in home runs and RBIs at eight and 36, respectively, and has the second-highest slugging percentage in the league at .720. On the base paths, Kennedy Brown is tied for the most stolen bases in the OVC at a perfect 16-for-16.
As a team, the Skyhawks are currently batting 289 and have the best ERA in the league at 4.34. They are currently 20th in the nation in total stolen bases (70) and 30th in stolen bases per game (1.84). Additionally, UT Martin ranks 14th in Division I with 14 triples and 18th nationally with 0.37 triples per game. The Skyhawk pitching staff is currently second in the nation in hit batters, striking just four opponents so far this season.
About The Racers
Murray State enters Tuesday's contest at 15-18 and 7-6 in the Missouri Valley Conference, winning two out of three games this past weekend on the road at UIC.
As a team, Murray State hits .276 on the season, while opponents hit .272 against them. Kynadee Warner currently leads the Racers at the plate with a .360 batting average, while Alli Waldron is just behind at .358. Kenley Minor is hitting .311 on the season and leads Murray State in home runs (5) and RBIs (24).
In the circle, the Racers have a team ERA of 4.11 and a WHIP of 1.50, average 4.23 strikeouts per seven innings and have a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 1.44. Bre Haislip has served as the ace for Murray State this season and is 7-5 on the year with a team-low ERA of 2.83, a team-high 54 strikeouts and an opponent's batting average of .236. Meanwhile, Karlye Garber is 5-5 with an ERA of 3.98, 47 strikeouts and an opponent's batting average of .277.
The Series With Murray State
Murray State leads the overall series with the Skyhawks, 21-18. Tuesday will be the third meeting between the two teams since the Racers left the OVC at the end of the 2022 season with the Skyhawks winning in Martin in 2024 and the Racers winning in Murray last season. In Martin, the all-time series is tied at 10 games each.
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballSkyhawk Sports Talk - Season 3, Episode 28
Tuesday, March 24
Mic'd Up with Jordyn Hustey
Thursday, March 19
Skyhawk Sports Talk - Season 3, Episode 27
Tuesday, March 17
Skyhawk Sports Talk - Season 3, Episode 23
Tuesday, February 17