Racers' Skirka voted NCAA National Baseball Coach of the Year

Murray State University baseball coach Dan Skirka on Saturday was named to the Mike Martin Award by the National College of Baseball Writers Association, signifying their pick for National Coach of the Year.

The Racers have taken a record-breaking 2025 season all the way to the College World Series after winning 44 games this season, tops in 86 seasons of the school. The Racers were Missouri Valley Conference regular season co-champions and MVC tournament champions, then won the NCAA Oxford Regional and the Durham Super Regional.

“I am humbled by this award, but it doesn’t happen without great people in my life,” Skirka, who was the MVC Coach of the Year, said in a news release. “I owe so much to the people that have guided me both as a player and a coach and this award is shared by all of them. Many thanks to my coaching staff and our players, because they are the ones that made this amazing season happen. Many thanks to the NCBWA and their membership for this honor, but it’s not only for myself, but also for the Murray State baseball program.”

Skirka celebrated his 200th victory this season when the Racers defeated Missouri State on their way to securing the program’s fifth-straight 30-win season.

The Racers got their first college world series experience on Saturday when they lost to the UCLA Bruins at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha. They'll play an elimination game Monday afternoon against Arkansas on ESPN.


Racer coach Dan Skirka and son Keegan at CWS in Omaha (photo MSU Athletics)