April 18, 2011

Baseball Game Notes In PDF Format
Live Broadcast
GameTracker For Tuesday's Game

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford baseball team will play host to the Alabama Crimson Tide Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. at Joe Lee Griffin Field.

Following the game, Samford will host a Diamond Dig, sponsored by Steed's Jeweler's. Every woman in attendance will be given a spoon and will have the opportunity to dig for a diamond, hidden somewhere in the infield at Joe Lee Griffin Field.

The Bulldogs enter the week with a record of 23-14 overall and 11-7 in Southern Conference play after winning two of three games at Appalachian State over the weekend. The Bulldogs dropped the first game of the series, 4-0, before taking games two and three by scores of 5-4 and 8-3.

Samford is led at the plate by Phillip Ervin, batting .384 (48-of-125) with 10 doubles and 19 RBI. Michael Johnson is batting .350 (50-of-143) with five doubles and 16 RBI. Brandon Miller leads the team and ranks second in the SoCon in home runs with 15, and he leads the squad in RBI with 38.

The Bulldogs are scheduled to start right-handed pitcher Joshua VanFleteren on the mound Tuesday evening. VanFleteren has a record of 3-2 and an ERA of 4.91 so far this season.

The Crimson Tide enters the game with a record of 24-15 overall and 8-7 in the SEC after dropping two of three games to Tennessee over the weekend. Alabama won game one, 8-2, before falling in the final two games, 2-1 and 1-0.

Alabama is led at the plate by Taylor Dugas, batting .345 (49-of-142) with a team-high four home runs and 19 RBI. Brock Bennett is batting .344 (44-of-128) with 13 RBI. Jared Reaves leads Alabama in RBI with 30 so far this season.

Alabama has listed left-hander Adam Windsor as its starting pitcher. Windsor enters the game with a record of 2-0 and a 2.12 ERA.

Under head coach Casey Dunn, Samford has a record of 6-5 against Alabama, and the Bulldogs have won the last four meetings in the series. Earlier this season, Samford defeated Alabama by a score of 4-2 on April 5 at Alabama's Sewell-Thomas Stadium.

In addition to the Diamond Dig, Tuesday night will also be Bessemer Classical School Night. Students from the school will join the Bulldogs as they take the field for the National Anthem. The baseball team visited the school weekly in the fall as part of the ABF BASIC program. Jim Shaw, Head of The Bessemer School, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game.

Tuesday night's game can be heard locally on WVSU-FM 91.1, or worldwide on the internet at www.samford.edu/wvsu. The game can also be viewed online via the Bulldog Big Screen at www.samfordsports.com. Fans can also follow the game online via GameTracker at the link below.

GameTracker For Tuesday's Game