Feb. 4, 2009

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- The Samford University softball team will kick off its 2009 regular season Thursday at Bulldog Field as it plays host to the Devilettes from Mississippi Valley State University. The meeting, which was originally slated to begin at 5 p.m., has been moved up to 3:15 p.m., due to the potential for extreme cold weather conditions.

"We are excited about opening at home and the opportunity to play against someone other than ourselves," Samford head coach Beanie Ketcham said. "The players have worked hard over the last couple of weeks to prepare and we expect to play well. Our goals are to focus on the little things, minimize mistakes and execute well the things we know how to do."

Samford heads into the 2009 campaign with high expectations. The Bulldogs finished last season in the Ohio Valley Conference by accomplishing a feat they had never been able to do. Samford made it to the semifinals of the conference tournament but eventually fell to Tennessee Tech in a close match-up. So now, the Bulldogs exit a conference they had known for five years and enter a new league, the Southern Conference, with a new start. The Bulldogs were picked to finish sixth out of the nine teams in the conference.

"We are a much improved team over the last season and being picked sixth will be motivation for us to work even harder to make our mark this first season in the Southern Conference," Ketcham said. "We have a lot to prove in our new conference and to ourselves this season."

The Bulldogs' 2009 roster boasts three seniors, five juniors, three sophomores and four freshmen.

Mississippi Valley State will also be opening its 2009 schedule Friday. The Devilettes are coming off their fifth Southwestern Athletic Conference championship and are picked to win the Eastern division of the SWAC again this season.

Samford and MVSU have meet twice before, with the Bulldogs coming away victorious from both meetings. The last match-ups between the two teams both occurred in 2005. Samford defeated MVSU, 5-3 in the fifth game of the season and then 9-5 in extra innings (9) eight games later.

First pitch will be at 3:15 p.m., at Bulldog Field on the Samford University campus. Live video streaming can be accessed through www.socon.tv. A full recap and results will be available on www.samfordsports.com once the game is completed.