Murray State University

Murray State University Racer Athletics
217 Stewart Stadium Murray, KY 42071

Division 1 Kentucky Midwest

Public Medium National competitor

I'm interested in this program!

Coaches

Email coach

Kara Amundson

At Murray State

Enters twelfth season as head coach for the 2024 season

Became school's second head coach in July of 2012

Led the Racers to their first ever regular season and tournament championships in 2022

Led the Racers to their first NCAA appearance at Tuscaloosa in 2022

Recorded her 300th career win against Indiana State (4/22/23)

Has led the Racers to OVC tournaments in six of a possible eight seasons as head coach

Led MSU to first-ever postseason berth in 2017 with a NISC bid

Is program's all-time winningest coach

Coached Jessica Twaddle to OVC Player of the Year Awards in 2015 & 2017

Helped Twaddle win program's first All-American Accolade in 2017

Coached Hannah James to a 2019 OVC Freshman of the Year award

Players have won 17 All-OVC honors and nine All-Newcomer honors

Has coached two two-time CoSIDA Academic All-Americans

Led Racers to program record 38 overall wins and 20 OVC in 2015

2015 and 2019 Racers finished a program-best third in the OVC standings

Recorded her 200th win on February 9th, 2020 against Drake

Academically, her program has produced 119 OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll recipients, 79 NFCA All-America Scholar Athletes, and 22 OVC Medal of Honor winners since becoming head coach in 2012

Team has twice earned NFCA Top 10 All-Academic recognition, including a third-place finish in 2013

Served as an assistant for the Racers in 2010 and 2011 and as the head coach of the women's tennis team in 2012

Before MSU

Served as an assistant at Northern Illinois for two seasons

Coached two All-MAC and academic all-conference selections

As a Player

Played four seasons for NFCA Hall of Famer Eugene Lenti at DePaul

Went to the WCWS in 2005 and 2007

As catcher, helped lead Blue Demons to a 20-0 mark in the Big East in 2007

Was a three-time academic honoree at the conference level

Personal

Graduated from DePaul in 2007 with a degree in sociology and a an emphasis in juvenile justice

Is a native of Coon Rapids, Minnesota

Email coach

Ashley Gilland

At MSU

Enters twelfth season in 2024

Joined Racers in 2012

Assisted Head Coach in all aspects of the program: Recruiting, fundraising, camps, team travel, academic integrity and development of student-athletes

Worked exclusively with hitting and outfield

Led program to their first Ohio Valley Conference Championship (2022)

Led team to first NCAA Regional Appearance (2022 Tuscaloosa Regional)

Led program to multiple 30+ wins per season (2014, 2015, 2017, 2022, 2023)

Led Program to its first 40+ win season (2022)

Developed the 2015 and 2017 Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year- Jessica Twaddle

Developed programs first All- American- Jessica Twaddle

Before MSU

Spent two years at Northern Iowa

Helped Panthers win 70 games and 2012 MVC regular-season title

Named 2012 MVC Coaching Staff of the Year with UNI

Spent one season as a student assistant, two as a graduate assistant at Western Illinois

Won Summit League Championship and led Western Illinois to NCAA DI Regionals in 2008

As A Player

Played a season at Western Illinois

Started career in Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida

Personal

Received Bachelor of Arts in Business Management and a Master of Science in sport management from Western Illinois.

Email coach

Zack Parsons

At Murray State

Will be his fourth year in the program in 2024.

Joined as a graduate assistant in 2020 and promoted to assistant coach in 2022.

Coached the Racer pitchers to set a new program record of 1.65 ERA in 2022.

Under his guidance, the Racers posted a program-best .203 opponent batting average in 2022.

Racer pitchers set a new program allowed just 1.35 walks/seven innings and most strikeouts/seven innings with 6.48 in 2022.

Coached the Racers to a 2.61 team ERA during his first season in 2021 - the second-best mark in program history

Under his guidance, the Racer pitching staff posted a program-best .247 opponent batting average in 2021

Racer pitchers allowed just 1.67 walks/seven innings in 2021 - the second-best rate in Murray State history

Played instrumental part in Hannah James' MSU single-season strikeout record of 192 in 2022

Prior to Murray State

Began his collegiate coaching journey at Asbury University

Named interim head coach for the Eagles in 2018

Named head coach at Asbury and continued to improve the program through the 2020 campaign

Before his stint at Asbury, Parsons was an assistant coach at East Jessamine High School

The Lady Jaguars finished as the 12th region runner-up and the 46th district champions with a 28-3 record

Personal

Received his B.S. Degree in Exercise Science from Georgetown College in 2015, and went on to complete his Master's Degree from the University of Louisville in Counseling & Personnel Services, with a concentration in College Student Personnel in 2017.