Samford softball ushered in the week in perfect fashion with junior Caitlin Bice receiving her first SoCon Player of the Week award of the season and of her career.

The week off for the Bulldogs provided relief from the continued chilly weather and also an opportunity to fill up the gas tank for another stretch of games.
 
Samford hosts their final pre-conference tournament of the home schedule this weekend with Alabama State, Houston Baptist and Valparaiso coming to campus for the Samford Invitational. Similar to the Samford Classic last week, this weekend should provide the Bulldogs with winnable games and at least two opportunities at competitive games.
 
Samford's best opponent of the weekend appears to be Valparaiso. You may recognize the name from their Sweet 16 run in 1998 highlighted by their current men's basketball coach Bryce Drew's iconic three pointer against Ole Miss. What you may not know is that their softball program has been a competitor in the Horizon League over the last few years. The Crusaders have been participants in the Horizon League Tournament Championship Game the last three seasons, including a tournament title in 2013. Four of their players were named to the Preseason All-Horizon League team including the 2014 Horizon League Co-Player of the Year and 2015 Preseason Horizon League Player of the Year Kaitlyn Ranieri.
 
Valparaiso hasn't played a game since Feb. 8, but they went 2-3 in their opening weekend tournament in Macon, Georgia, including near misses against SoCon newcomer Mercer and OVC foe Jacksonville State.
 
Alabama State is a familiar opponent that we'll also see in Montgomery toward the end of March. The Hornets have a new head coach in Chris Steiner-Wilcoxson. It's her first season coaching at the Division I level but she comes off of leading Auburn University at Montgomery to their first NAIA National Championship.
 
Leading the Hornets is their All-SWAC First Team third baseman Kendall Core and outfielder Brittney Wilson. Core hit .364 in 2014 with six homers while Brittney Wilson is coming off a SWAC Hitter of the Week performance at the Mardi Gras Classic in Monroe, Lousiaina, with a 7-of-12 effort including two home runs, four RBIs and five runs scored.
 
After starting the season 0-6, Houston Baptist steadied the ship last weekend winning three of their four games at Southeastern Louisiana's Lion Classic. Alyssa Burnett leads Houston Baptist as their only preseason All-Southland Conference selection. Burnett has seven RBIs on the season with three RBIs coming at Southeastern Louisiana on Valentine's Day.
 
Hopefully the wet weather will hold off for the weekend. We'll have every game but the Houston Baptist game Saturday on the SoCon Digital Network. Another weekend sweep for Samford would be ideal going in to a rugged three week stretch of games looming on the horizon.
 
#RuffEm
 
James Hardy