Murray State University Baseball

Dan Skirka will enter his eighth season as Murray State’s head baseball coach in 2025-26, continuing a tenure defined by historic milestones and sustained su...

Anthony Ortega enters his second season at Murray State in 2026 as the Racers’ defensive coordinator and assistant hitting coach, continuing to play a key role in one of the most successful eras in program history. Ortega was part of the staff that helped guide Murray State’s historic 2025 run to the College World Series, while also contributing to an offense that led the Missouri Valley Conference in on-base percentage, hits, runs scored, RBIs, doubles, triples and walks. Defensively, Ortega helped the Racers post the top fielding percentage in the MVC in 2025, and he assisted in the development of multiple elite defenders, including Carson Garner and Luke Mistone, both of whom earned MVC All-Defensive Team honors. Before arriving in Murray, Ortega spent five seasons at Benedictine College, serving four years as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator before being promoted to associate head coach in his final season with the program. Since taking over the Raven offense in 2021, Ortega’s units produced dynamic, high-pressure lineups on the bases, stealing more than 300 bases and setting a school record with 120 stolen bases in 2021. Benedictine also made significant strides defensively during his tenure, improving its fielding percentage by 22 points. Across his time with the Ravens, Ortega oversaw the development of 10 Heart of America Conference all-conference selections and two NAIA All-Americans. Ortega began his coaching career at his alma mater, California State U

Hayden Cross enters his second season at Murray State in 2026 as the program’s Director of Player Development and catchers coach, bringing an energetic player-first approach that has helped fuel the Racers’ continued rise on the national stage. Cross played an important role in Murray State’s historic 2025 run to the College World Series, while also helping guide catcher Will Vierling to a First-Team All-Missouri Valley Conference selection before Vierling was chosen in the 11th round of the MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies. In his first year with the Racers, Cross helped lead the development of a deep and accomplished roster, as 12 Murray State players earned a combined 18 MVC honors and awards. Cross joined the program after serving as a graduate assistant at Appalachian State in 2024, where he coached catchers and assisted with the Mountaineers’ hitters. His work with the offense contributed to one of the most productive seasons in school history, as Appalachian State set a single-season program record with 96 home runs and led the Sun Belt Conference with a .919 team OPS. A former standout catcher for Appalachian State, Cross earned All-Sun Belt Second Team honors in 2022 and established himself as one of the league’s top defensive catchers. He caught the third-most runners stealing in the conference in 2022 and led the Sun Belt in runners caught stealing in 2023. As a senior, Cross posted a .327/.434/.514 slash line and helped lead the Mountaineers to the Sun Belt

Wolfe enters his second season on staff as the program’s hitting coach and outfield coach for the 2026 season. In this role, he has played a key part in the development of multiple high-level players, including Will Vierling, an 11th-round selection in the 2025 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies, and Jonathan Hogart, who also signed with the Phillies organization. Additionally, Carson Garner and Dan Tauken have signed professional contracts with independent baseball organizations. Wolfe was instrumental in the Racers’ historic run to the 2025 College World Series and helped oversee one of the most productive offenses in the Missouri Valley Conference. Under his leadership, the Racers led the MVC in on-base percentage, hits, runs scored, RBIs, doubles, triples, and walks, while finishing Top 20 nationally in multiple offensive categories. His work also contributed to All-MVC honors for Dan Tauken, Jonathan Hogart, and Dustin Mercer following the 2025 season. In addition to his collegiate experience, Wolfe spent two summers coaching with the DFW Twins, a premier developmental organization for collegiate athletes in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. There, he worked with players across multiple age groups and played a significant role in the development of athletes who went on to earn scholarships at the junior college, NAIA, and NCAA Division I, II, and III levels. Playing Background Wolfe brings an accomplished and highly respected playing background to the staff. He began

Steve Adkins is entering his fourth season as an assistant coach for Murray State baseball in 2025-26 and continues to play a key role in elevating the Racer...