Remembering the Legend: Johnny Reagan Field
Simon Elfrink
Murray State center fielder Jake Slunder slides headfirst into home plate on Johnny Reagan Day, 2021.
After a multi-year rebuilding period, Murray State baseball looks to follow up last season’s 33-25 record with another winning season. After the breakout they had in 2021, the Racers have a powerful following, and baseball fans and other members of the Racer Nation have the opportunity to watch the season unfold at Johnny Reagan Field.
The field, located on the northeast corner of campus, is aptly named after one of the most influential student-athletes in school history. His legacy lives on in the game, the team, and on Johnny Reagan Day, the numbers across the players’ backs.
As a student-athlete from 1944-48, Reagan racked up enough accolades to dwarf those of almost any before or since. A key competitor in both baseball and basketball, Reagan’s most significant play probably came between the chalk lines, where he played two seasons as a shortstop before transitioning into a pitching role for his junior and senior years. In 1946, Reagan recorded a one-hitter against Western Kentucky. Since statistics were not as rigorously kept back then for NCAA baseball, it’s difficult to gauge the extent of his game. However, his statistics in basketball speak for themselves.
On the court, Reagan simply dominated. A starter in all four years of college, Reagan was an All-Conference selection every season. Regan is also the first and only player in Murray State basketball to lead his team in every statistical category.
While his accolades as a player are grounds enough for a Racer Hall of Fame induction, Reagan’s real legacy lies in his 36 years as a baseball coach. The Racers—or the Thoroughbreds, as they were called back then—posted a 776-508-11 record over that span, winning 11 Ohio Valley Conference Championships along the way.
Reagan became a 10-time OVC Coach of the Year and led the ‘Breds to some of their most impressive seasons in history. One such season came in 1979, when Murray State fell one game short of the College World Series. In ’75, Reagan’s team went 40-9 and even ranked 12th in the NCAA polls at one point.
The field, first built in 1989, undergone many add-ons since then, including bleachers, lights, and a press box. The Racers play on today shares the same name as the program’s most influential baseball player, and his retired jersey number—36—is often chalked behind home plate. Today’s Racer fans can watch Reagan’s competitive spirit live on in the game. The program has been under what some have called a “rebuilding stage,” but the fruits of that rebuilding are being reaped in the most recent seasons.
Under the leadership of Head Coach Dan Skirka, the Racers have found themselves in one of the most competitive seats in the OVC. The Racers were on a roll in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic swept in to cut the season short, finishing 10-7 that season. 2021 proved to be a breakout season for the Racers, who won a conference-high 33 games and were only a few runs short of an OVC Championship—falling to SEMO in the final innings of the tournament.
This season, the Racers received a No. 2 ranking in the preseason meeting and will surely be chasing SEMO for that championship again. While the Racers will miss franchise players like Ryan Perkins, Jordan Cozart, and Brock Anderson, who graduated following the 2021 season, the Racers look to new leadership in seniors like centerfielder Jake Slunder and third baseman Bryson Bloomer. Racer fans are encouraged to head to Johnny Reagan Field as the season continues, especially on Saturday, April 30, when the Racers will celebrate the Murray State Icon on Johnny Reagan Day, Game-day admittance is free to all for regular season contests.
Fans can get updates on game-day information, scheduling, statistics, and more at goracers.com.
