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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford University baseball team will play its final game of the 2016 regular season Saturday at 1 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs attempt to defeat the VMI Keydets for their sixth-consecutive victory against a Southern Conference opponent. The game will be held at Joe Lee Griffin Field and will be a part of Samford's Senior Day festivities.
 
"Our senior are a great group of guys," said Samford head coach Casey Dunn. "Obviously, they've all been outstanding baseball players, but even more, they are an awesome group of individuals off the field as well.
 
"They have left their mark on this place in a lot more areas than just on the field. They have built long-lasting relationships with the faculty, as well as all of the students and student-athletes on campus. This is a good group of guys who have done a great job of being involved on campus and maximizing their time here at Samford University."
 
At 12:45 p.m., Saturday, 15 minutes before first pitch, the Bulldogs will honor and thank their eight-member senior class with a special Senior Day presentation. The following seniors will all be honored in alphabetical order:  Parker Curry, Anthony Gonzalez, Richard Greene, Alex Lee, Frankie Navarrete, Danny Rodriguez, Damon Waller and Jared Watson.
 

Parker Curry is a native of Pelham, Alabama, who has been an instrumental part of the program since his freshman season in 2013. A Second-Team, All-SoCon Preseason selection this year, he has not disappointed on the mound and has compiled a 6-2 record, as well as a solid 3.42 ERA.
 
A 20-win pitcher in his career, including an effective 7-2 performance as a sophomore, Curry has also proven to be a dangerous hitter at the plate. He has already compiled two doubles, a home run and nine RBI in only 24 at-bats for a .400 batting average this season.
 
This year, Curry leads the team with 52 strikeouts and was named the SoCon Pitcher of the Week on April 11.
 

Anthony Gonzalez is a senior from Miami, Florida, who has been a solid contributor since arriving on campus in 2013. As a true freshman, he quickly earned playing time for the Bulldogs and finished the season with a .375 batting average. Gonzalez also tallied huge hits that season against Alabama, College of Charleston and Western Carolina.
 
Last year, Gonzalez earned plenty of key playing time and finished the season batting .289 with 11 hits, five runs and four RBI. He also turned in a 3-for-4 performance against Austin Peay and registered six hits in his first 13 at-bats of the year.
 

Richard Greene is a native of Birmingham and one of the most decorated Bulldogs in recent history. A four-year starter at catcher and a Team Captain, he recently received one of the most important awards in the Samford Athletic Department as he was named the school's Mr. Bulldog.
 
In addition this year, Greene was also named to the national Watch List for both the Johnny Bench Award and the prestigious Senior CLASS Award. A preseason All-SoCon honoree in 2016, he has already compiled six home runs, 10 doubles, 23 runs scored and 28 RBI.
 
Last year, Greene garnered Second-Team All-SoCon accolades after turning in a .322 batting average with 11 home runs and 50 RBI.
 

Alex Lee is a senior from Heflin, Alabama, who transferred to Samford from Central Alabama in 2014. He quickly found his way into the Bulldogs' starting lineup in his first season and has only missed a total of two games in two years.
 
During his brilliant tenure at Samford, Lee has earned a .334 career batting average with 18 home runs, 87 RBI and 86 runs scored. A Second-Team All-SoCon performer last season, he finished his junior year hitting .343 with 10 home runs and 49 RBI.
 
Already in 2016, Lee was named a Preseason All-SoCon member and has started all 56 games at first base. He recently turned in a 17-game hitting streak and leads the team with 21 multi-hit performances this season.
 

Frankie Navarrete hails from Miami, Florida, and will be playing in the 170th game of his career today. As a true freshman, he immediately made a positive impact for the Bulldogs as he garnered 30 starts.
 
As a sophomore, Navarrete continued to improve and broke onto the scene in a major way, as he led the team with a .340 batting average. Known for his gritty play and on-field leadership, he has proven to be a key factor in Samford's recent success and has already scored 30 runs this season.
 
A two-time, All-SoCon Preseason honoree, Navarrete closed out his junior year with a .291 batting average and has started in 42 games at second base as a senior. A constant catalyst for Samford's offense, he has reached base safely in 33 of his 46 games this season and has scored 30 runs for the Bulldogs.
 

Danny Rodriguez also came to Samford from Miami, Florida, and has earned starts in all four years of his career. This season, he has started at shortstop in all but one game and has only committed five errors in a total of 239 defensive chances.
 
Offensively, Rodriguez has also proven to be a key factor for the Bulldogs as he is batting .284 with a career-high 39 runs scored and a .409 on-base percentage.
 
Last year, Rodriguez helped lead Samford to the SoCon Tournament championship game by hitting .462 in the Bulldogs' final 14 games of the season. He also finished 7-of-11 with nine RBI and four runs scored in back-to-back, elimination-game victories against Wofford on May 23.
 

Damon Waller hails from Atlanta, Georgia, and has been a vital contributor for the Bulldogs since his freshman season. He immediately earned playing time in 31 games in 2013, as he tallied 13 RBI and two home runs.
 
Last year, Waller turned in the best power numbers of his career with six home runs, 21 RBI and 48 total bases. On Feb. 23, 2015, he was named the SoCon Player of the Week after hitting .500 with a double, a grand slam and five RBI in Samford's series win over Austin Peay.
 
This season, Waller boasts the best batting average of his career at .294 and owns a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage. He always seems to shine in big games, as he finished 2-for-5 against Arizona and 2-for-4 versus Mississippi State.
 

Jared Watson hails from Jacksonville, Florida, and has been a key member of the Bulldogs since 2013. As a freshman, he started in 11 games and finished with eight runs, six RBI and a homer in only 41 at-bats.
He solidified his position in the starting lineup as a sophomore by earning a .292 batting average, 37 runs and 62 total bases.
 
As one of the Bulldogs' most vocal leaders, Watson has excelled throughout his career in left field, and was named to the All-SoCon Preseason Team as a junior.
 
Last season, Watson hit safely in 30 games and registered 15 multi-hit performances, including a brilliant 4-for-5 outing at VMI on March 27. This year, he is making his 36th start today, as well as the 136th of his career.
 
Following Saturday's Senior Day game against VMI, the Samford University baseball team will next be in action Wednesday as the Bulldogs begin play in the 2016 SoCon Tournament being held at Fluor Field in downtown Greenville, South Carolina.
 
Samford's opening-game opponent in the true double-elimination competition has yet to be determined. The tournament seeds and first-round matchups are still undecided and will be settled by the results of this week's remaining slate of SoCon contests.
 
For quick score updates, breaking news and links to all of your favorite articles featuring the Bulldogs, please follow @SamfordBaseball and @Samford_Sports on Twitter.

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