April 15, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University softball team will once again rekindle one of its cross-town rivalries Wednesday as the Bulldogs travel to Birmingham-Southern for a 6 p.m., non-conference matchup to be held at the BSC Softball Park.

Earlier this season, Samford (15-24) defeated the Birmingham-Southern Panthers (25-21) 7-1 in the 2008 Magic City Classic. The win extended the Bulldogs' winning streak against the Panthers to four-consecutive games. Samford now holds a 7-6 advantage in the all-time series between the teams.

"I think that this game against Birmingham-Southern is big for us in that we can build upon the progress that we made last week," said Samford head coach Beanie Ketcham. "We definitely feel good about what our players accomplished over the weekend and I think that they are eager to get back out on the field to fight hard and compete again."

Samford heads into Wednesday's game riding the positive momentum of an Ohio Valley Conference series win against Southeast Missouri over the weekend. The Bulldogs were victorious in two of the three games and outscored Southeast Missouri 18-5.

Sophomore Amanda Barrs led Samford's offensive attack and turned in a .500 batting average last week. The Bulldogs' starting pitcher also slugged two home runs and tallied 11 RBI en route to being named the OVC player of the week.

"Barrs is doing what I expect her to do and that is to play well under pressure," Ketcham said. "She loves to be in those situations with runners on base and she really loves to compete. I'm hoping that she is just now taking her game to a whole another level. I hope that she will continue her level of play and that everyone else will continue to step up as well."

Birmingham-Southern heads into Wednesday's cross-town rivalry with aspirations of ending a four-game losing streak.

The Panthers have been defeated in six of their previous eight games and are coming off a three-game Big South Conference sweep at the hands of Winthrop. Over the weekend, Winthrop didn't allow Birmingham-Southern to score a run and outscored the Panthers 16-0 in a series held in Rock Hill, S.C.

Birmingham-Southern's softball team, which will remain a member of Division I until 2009, owns a 2-7 conference record this season.

On Feb. 29, Samford and Birmingham-Southern squared off at the 2008 Magic City Classic and the Bulldogs rallied for a 7-1 victory. In the win, Samford racked up a season-high 13 hits and finished with five players recording at least two base hits.

Senior Emily Deaux paced the offense with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate, while true freshman Kayla Burris struck out nine batters in picking up the victory in the circle.

"We've already played Birmingham-Southern this season and we beat them 7-1," said Ketcham. "The danger for us is thinking that tomorrow's game will be sewn up, and the challenge for our players will be realizing that they are really going to have to fight to win. I'm hoping that I see the same focus, preparation and fight from our players that I saw against Southeast Missouri."

Earlier this month, Samford suffered a five-game losing streak, but has recently fought back to win three of its previous five matchups. Following a hard-fought 4-0 loss against No. 4-ranked Alabama on April 2, the Bulldogs have picked up key OVC victories over Eastern Illinois and Southeast Missouri.

With nine conference games remaining, Samford is tied for seventh place in the OVC standings. The top six teams in the final standings will qualify for the 2008 OVC Tournament. Currently, the Bulldogs are only one-and-a-half games out of sole possession of fifth place.

"I definitely think that this game against Birmingham-Southern has the potential to help us get ready for a key OVC series this weekend," Ketcham said. "We need to get some consistency in our offensive play and I think that this stretch of games could really end up being huge for us."

Following Samford's non-conference matchup at Birmingham-Southern on Wednesday, the Bulldogs will return to OVC play this weekend with a critical home three-game series against the defending conference champion Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles.

Samford and Tennessee Tech are scheduled to play a series-opening doubleheader Saturday beginning at 1 p.m., followed by a special "Senior Day" matchup Sunday at 1 p.m.

Sunday's game will be Samford's final home contest of the 2008 season and fans are urged to arrive 15 minutes early as the Softball Program recognizes the following Bulldog seniors: Emily Deaux, Tracey Deaux and Jeslyn Metcalf with a special presentation.

GameTracker - Samford at BSC