March 22, 2005

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - The Samford University softball team will embark upon a five-game Ohio Valley Conference road trip beginning on Wednesday as the Bulldogs square off against their in-state rival Jacksonville State in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m., at University Field.

Samford (10-13, 3-0 OVC) is currently in the midst of its longest winning streak of the 2005 season and has opened conference play with a perfect 3-0 record for the third time in the last five years.

The Bulldogs compiled a 3-3 record last week as the team dropped games against ninth-ranked Alabama and Southern Illinois before sweeping Tennessee State in a three-game series to open OVC play.

With its weekend sweep against Tennessee State, the Bulldogs remained undefeated versus the Tigers and improved its all-time record against the TSU to 8-0. Samford has outscored Tennessee State, 36-10, since the rivalry began in 2003.

On March 15, Southern Illinois, which is receiving votes in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association's latest poll, escaped with a 1-0 victory over Samford in the first game of a midweek doubleheader. In the narrow defeat, the Bulldogs' highly-touted pitcher Susanna Meyer equaled her season-high mark of 12 strikeouts.

Samford is now 3-6 on the season when playing at home in Bulldog Field and has extended its regular-season OVC winning streak to eight-consecutive games.

The Bulldogs concluded the 2004 campaign with five-straight conference wins by taking two of three from Austin Peay and then sweeping Southeast Missouri. Samford finished the OVC season with a solid 17-9 record and earned a No. 4 seed in the six-team postseason tournament.

Jacksonville State (16-10, 2-1 OVC) heads into Wednesday's matchup tied for second place in the conference standings along with Tennessee-Martin and Tennessee Tech. The Gamecocks trail Samford by one game for first place and took two of three from Austin Peay last weekend.

JSU has won its previous two contests, but underwent a four-game losing streak prior to earning a 4-0 victory over Austin Peay on Saturday. The Gamecocks opened the 2005 campaign with a four-game winning streak and later won six-straight games before losing twice against Stetson, 3-2 and 2-0.

Jacksonville State currently boasts five players batting over .300 this season and is led by junior Maigin Alexander with a .363 average. The Gamecocks have hit 23 home runs this season and both Breanne Oleman and Daniela Pappano pace the team with six round-trippers each.

Samford's sophomore right fielder Shelley Stanley heads into Wednesday's games as one of the Bulldogs' hottest hitters.

She concluded last week with a team-high .400 batting average (6-for-15) and registered a pair of three-run homers. Against ninth-ranked Alabama on March 17, Stanley blasted a home run to straightaway center field and ended the in-state matchup going 3-for-3 against All-Southeastern Conference performer Stephanie VanBrakle.

On Saturday, Stanley moved into sole possession of third place on Samford's all-time home run list (11), as she drilled a walk-off three-run homer to right field to defeat Tennessee State, 4-1. Stanley currently leads the Bulldogs in a majority of offensive categories, including batting average (.306), runs (11), home runs (3), slugging percentage (.516) and on-base percentage (.386).

In an in-state rivalry that began in 1994, Samford and Jacksonville State have played against each other 35 times and the Bulldogs trail in the all-time series, 15-20. Samford swept all three meetings last season and currently holds a 4-1 record versus Jacksonville State under the tutelage of Coach Ketcham.

The Samford University softball team will attempt to extend its regular-season winning streak against OVC opponents to 10-consecutive games on Wednesday as the Bulldogs travel east to Jacksonville, Ala., for an in-state doubleheader versus the Jacksonville State Gamecocks beginning at 1 p.m.