March 22, 2006

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University softball team will play its first Ohio Valley Conference home games of 2006 campaign on Thursday as the Bulldogs host the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in a key early-season doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m., at Bulldog Field.

Both games can be heard live on WVSU 91.1-FM or via the Internet at either www.samfordsports.com or www.al.com/WVSU. Live stats will also be made available at www.samfordsports.com through GameTracker.

Live Stats - Game One
Live Stats - Game Two

Samford (8-23, 0-2 OVC) heads into Thursday's doubleheader looking to rebound from a pair of road conference losses against Eastern Kentucky over the weekend.

The teams played an OVC-opening twin bill on Sunday in Richmond, Ky., and the Bulldogs fell in a pair of shutout losses, 3-0, and 8-0. Samford has struggled while playing on the road this season and currently holds a 1-9 record in games played on their opponent's home field.

The Bulldogs have played nine games at home this season and own a 3-6 record while playing at Bulldog Field. Samford's last victory came at home against Saint Louis in the consolation round of the 2006 Alabama Central Credit Union Bulldog Bash on March 12.

Jacksonville State (20-7, 2-0 OVC) enters the competition as the conference's second-ranked team in pitching with a 1.95 earned run average and as the league's No. 3-ranked hitting squad with a .278 batting average.

The Gamecocks have won nine of their previous 12 games and are coming off a decisive two-game sweep of Tennessee State on Saturday.

Jacksonville State boasts three players batting over .300 this season in junior outfielder Daniela Pappano, senior outfielder Maigin Alexander and sophomore first baseman Lauren Horwath. Pappano currently leads the team with a .391 batting average, while Alexander follows at .390 and Horwath heads into Thursday with a .381 mark.

Samford's freshman second baseman Rachael Reeves is coming off a stellar performance against Eastern Kentucky on Sunday as she batted .500 in the Bulldogs' two games.

A native of Mobile, Ala., Reeves combined for a 3-for-6 performance at the plate against the Colonels. In the first game, she went 3-for-3 and recorded her team-high 10th stolen base of the 2006 season.

Samford has already stolen 48 bases on 61 attempts this season, which averages out to 1.55 steals per contest. A year ago, the Bulldogs finished the entire 2005 campaign with a total of 32 stolen bases on 44 attempts.

In its all-time series rivalry against Jacksonville State, Samford trails 22-16 in the standings, but has won five of the previous eight meetings.

Since the Bulldogs' head coach Beenie Ketcham took control of the Samford softball program in 2003, the team has rallied for a 5-3 record against the Gamecocks. The Bulldogs swept all three games from Jacksonville State in 2004 after splitting a doubleheader in 2003.

Last year, the Gamecocks took two out of three games in the seasonal series.

Following its midweek doubleheader against Jacksonville State on Thursday, the Samford University softball team will return to the road for a three-game series in Nashville, Tenn., versus the Tennessee State Tigers. The teams will play a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m., on Saturday, followed by a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m.