Oct. 16, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford University softball team will team up with players from UAB, UAH, and Jefferson State Community College to help Children's Hospital fight childhood cancer this Saturday, Oct. 18. The fourth-annual "Knockin' Cancer Out of the Ballpark" softball tournament will be held at Samford's Bulldog field.

"It's obviously just a great cause and a great thing to raise awareness in the community about children's brain cancer," Samford head coach Beanie Ketcham said. "The doctors come out and we have kids who are battling brain cancer right now come out and throw out the first pitches. We try to make it a special thing for the kids as well."

The first pitches will be thrown out at 11 a.m., prior to the first game between UAB and UAH. In the second game of the day, Samford will face off with Jefferson State at 1:15 p.m., followed by the Bulldogs meeting the Blazers at 3:30 p.m.

All proceeds from this event will be donated to the UAB Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Research Program at Children's Hospital in Birmingham. Donations will be accepted at the entrance to the game and a fun zone will be set up for patrons to enjoy. Fun zone activities include inflatables, putting games, throwing games, face painting, giveaways and raffles.

On Friday, Samford will also play back-to-back two and one half hour scrimmages against Jefferson State and UAH. The match-up with Jefferson State will begin at 3 p.m. followed by a meeting with UAH.

Over the past three year, the event has raised over $75,000 in donations for the cause. Every aspect of the tournament is donated.

"It's been very, very successful over the last three years," said Ketcham. "One hundred percent of it all goes to the research, so there is no overhead. Everything is donated from the hotdogs to drinks. The umpires even donate their services. The whole community kind of pulls together and supports this."

The Children's Hospital of Alabama is the 10th busiest pediatric medical center in the United States. The UAB Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at Children's Hospital is Alabama's single largest provider of specialized pediatric services for all forms of cancer, leukemia, brain and spinal cord tumors, hemophilia and other bleeding disorders and sickle cell diseases.

It is also home to the Lowder Bone Marrow Transplant program, the only pediatric bone marrow transplant program in the state. Ninety-five percent of the children in Alabama diagnosed with childhood cancer and other blood disorders are treated by the UAB Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at Children's Hospital.