Former Caldwell County standout Shane Burns has drawn the starting nod for the Murray State Racers in their OVC Tournament opener on Wednesday.
Murray State, the No. 5 seed, will take on fourth-seeded Belmont at 9 a.m. Wednesday at Rent One Park in Marion, Ill.
Belmont swept three games from the Racers during the regular season, but Murray State had a chance to win each of those games in Nashville.
Burns, a freshman with the Racers, is 3-2 this season with a 3.79 earned run average. The left-hander is Caldwell’s all-time winningest pitcher, posting a 31-8 mark as a Tiger.
With a win over Belmont, Murray State would next face top-seeded Jacksonville State at 11 a.m. on Thursday.
With a loss to the Bruins, the Racers would fall to the consolation bracket and would play again either Wednesday or Thursday night.
The tournament championship round is set for Saturday.
According to the OVC, this season marks the 41st time the event has been held and first time it has been held at Rent One Park in Marion. The venue is the home of the Southern Illinois Miners, a professional baseball team playing in the Frontier League.
Fans can watch the entire 2019 OVC Baseball Tournament live on ESPN+.
