July 25, 2000

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - When it was announced Samford and Mississippi State would not play baseball May 10, it ended the athletics year for Samford. This column takes a look back at what has happened and what might happen in the future.

The most memorable thing is the basketball season. The men advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. However, the excitement over this team goes back to the opening game when it defeated St. John's. That was a win over a top 25 team.

The men followed that up with a win over Alabama, in Tuscaloosa. The St. John's win might have meant more on a national stage, but the Samford fans enjoyed the Bama win even more. It gave this program credibility at home.

There was the mid-season slump that made people wonder if this team might make it again. The Bulldogs found the defense, then the offense and won nine out of its last 10. That includes one of the greatest games SU has been a part of, the 83-80 win over Georgia State in the TAAC semi-finals.

The women went from eight wins in '98-99 to a few points shy of 20 wins in '99-00. Jodi Morris and Clarrissa Tomlinson were a dominating pair in the TAAC Tournament in Pelham. Without a season-ending injury to Aimee Cochran, Janet Cone's bunch might have been in the NCAA Tournament as well. Their stirring comeback from 20 down to just two in the final minutes was probably as exciting as women's basketball has ever been in its short history at Samford.

The football team fell just 13 points short of a perfect season, in going 7-4. Pete Hurt turned Joel Williams loose with a new offense. The Bulldogs were fourth in the nation in rushing with a school record 315 yards per game. The Bulldogs averaged over 30 points per game. They set records for yards in a season and a game.

Samford fans saw one of its greatest overachievers become the school's all-time leading rusher. Jerome Russell, who was moved to tailback just one week before his first game as a freshman, gained 1236 yards and finished his career with 3,198 yards.

Nine starters return on offense, including five on the line. Look for the Bulldogs to once again put the points on the board.

However, it was some of the sports that don't get recognition that had some of the best years. The women's soccer team won more games than ever. The men won TAAC championships in both cross country and track and field. The men's golf team won the Silver Lakes Tournament.

One of the best turnarounds may have been the softball team. This is a program that has struggled getting going over the last few years. Two years ago it was one of the worst programs in the country. Mark Voisard has done an outstanding job recruiting. Even though they lost the last four games, their 24-33 record was the best since the early 90's. In addition they were 5-2 against SEC teams, sweeping Auburn, defeating top 25 Mississippi State and winning Tennessee's tournament. This is a very young team that should be a league challenger next season.

The baseball team struggled in newly renovated and named Joe Lee Griffin Field. The stadium is one of the best around and will get better over the next couple of years. Despite the struggles this year's team started six sophomores or freshmen. A solid signing class and the new stadium, could put this program on the rise.

These are just a few memories from this past year.