Game #1:  Friday at 6 p.m. (CT)  |  Tickets  |  Video  |  Live Stats
Game #2:  Saturday at 2 p.m. (CT)  |  Tickets  |  Video  |  Live Stats
Game #3:  Sunday at 1 p.m. (CT)  |  Video  |  Live Stats  |  Fan Appreciation Day (FREE admission)

Samford Game Notes

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford University baseball team will look to build upon its current three-game winning streak this weekend as the Bulldogs play host to the Eastern Illinois Panthers in a home series to be held at Joe Lee Griffin Field beginning Friday at 6 p.m. (CT). The teams are also slated to play Saturday at 2 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
Samford (6-5) heads into the weekend boasting the positive momentum of a three-game winning streak. Since dropping a 10-5 decision to Indiana on Friday, the Bulldogs took the remaining two contests against the Hoosiers, 6-5 and 5-3, before defeating in-state foe Alabama State, 10-7, on Wednesday.
 
Samford owns a 4-2 record at home this season.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT
The Bulldogs notched their sixth straight victory against Alabama State on Wednesday. The last time that Samford was defeated by the Hornets was March 18, 2014, in a 23-7 setback held in Birmingham at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
 
Samford's Wyatt Burns came on in the eighth inning and notched his fifth save of the season in the victory. Burns pitched two full innings in the Bulldogs' win. He entered the game ranked fourth in the nation in saves.
 
Samford pounded out a season-high 18 hits and earned its highest scoring output of the season with 10.
 
The Bulldogs' Taylor Garris has been on fire at the plate recently and tallied a 4-for-4 hitting performance Wednesday. Samford's true freshman third baseman currently leads the team with a .435 batting average this season and is 7-for-8 from the dish in his last two outings.
 
Six Bulldogs registered multi-hit performances against Alabama State. Along with Garris' brilliant 4-for-4 outing, Samford's T.J. Dixon recorded a 3-for-5 outing from his leadoff spot, while Branden Fryman, Kevin Williams, Jr., Jordan Fucci and Ben Carrick all finished with two hits apiece.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Eastern Illinois (1-10) enters this weekend's series with aspirations of snapping a four-game losing streak. The Panthers tallied their lone victory of the season at Central Arkansas on Feb. 26, 4-2, but have since been swept on the road by Kansas State, 15-10, 12-11 and 14-0, before falling at No. 26-ranked Missouri, 10-1, on Tuesday.
 
Eastern Illinois has been outscored by a total of 125-39 this season, including 48-5 in a 2017-opening series at South Alabama. In the second game of the series, South Alabama rolled to a 32-0 victory held Feb. 18, in Mobile.
 
The Panthers are playing in their 111th season of intercollegiate baseball. Eastern Illinois has an all-time record of 1,732 wins and 1,525 losses. Head Coach Jason Anderson is in his second season as the Panthers' skipper after being hired to take on the role in the summer of 2015. Anderson picked up the first win of his coaching career with a 10-8 victory over No. 12 Arkansas in 12 innings on March 5, 2016.
 
Dougie Parks led the Eastern Illinois offense in their mid-week game at No. 26 Missouri on Tuesday. The junior transfer finished the game 2-for-4 at the plate with a run scored. Tuesday marked the third multi-hit game of the season for Parks. Parks enters the weekend with an active five-game on-base streak.
 
Michael Starcevich and Brent Stephens combined to throw three scoreless innings of relief at No. 26 Mizzou. Starcevich allowed just one hit in two inning with three strikeouts. Stephens allowed a single hit in his inning of work with a pair of strikeouts.

Joseph Duncan and Jimmy Govern both pilfered one bag each at No. 26 Mizzou on Tuesday. Duncan is a perfect 3-for-3 in stolen bases this season while Govern is 2-for-2 on the year. Duncan needs just six more stolen bases to reach the top-10 list for career stolen bases in Eastern Illinois history. 
 
SAMFORD'S STARTING ROTATION
Friday - - RHP, Mikhail Cazenave, Sr. (Rainbow City, Alabama) - - 1-1 (3.94 ERA)
Saturday - - RHP, Stephen Jones, So. (Tallahassee, Florida) - - 1-1 (5.68 ERA)
Sunday - - RHP, Jesse McCord, So. (Spanish Fort, Alabama) - - 0-2 (9.24 ERA)
 
EASTERN ILLINOIS' STARTING ROTATION
Friday - - RHP, Alex Stevenson, Fr. (Kirkwood, Missouri) - - 1-0 (10.24 ERA)
Saturday - - RHP, Michael McCormick, Sr. (Springfield, Illinois) - - 0-1 (5.14 ERA)
Sunday - - TBA
 
GET TO KNOW SAMFORD'S MIKHAIL CAZENAVE
Cazenave was one of the most accomplished pitchers in his class coming out of high school and led his team to a state championship. Last season, he finished the year as one of the Bulldogs' top starting pitchers and compiled a 4-1 record on the mound in 10 starts. Cazenave closed out the season with 12 appearances and 40 strikeouts in 45.1 innings pitched.
 
Immediately after high school, Cazenave spent two years at Snead State Community College in Boaz where he was the No. 1 starter on staff. He boasts velocity in the 88-92 mile-per-hour range and has provided experience to the Bulldogs' staff since his arrival.
 
YOUNG GUNS TAKING THE REINS
Samford's top two hitters at this point in the season are true freshmen in Garris and Fryman. The Bulldogs' pair, which comprises the left side of the infield, boasts a combined .394 batting average (26-for-66). Garris, who has started at third base in seven games this season, leads the team with a .435 mark at the plate on the year. Fryman has started all 11 games of his career at shortstop and is ranked second on the team with a .372 batting average.
 
In fact, five of Samford's top six hitters this season are newcomers. Junior transfer leftfielder Kevin Williams, Jr., is listed fourth at .359, while freshman catcher Anthony Mulrine is fifth (.269) and freshman designated hitter Ayrton Schafer is sixth (.233).
 
SHUTTING THE DOOR
Samford's Burns has already earned five saves this season. The Bulldogs' junior native of Pinson entered the week ranked fourth in the nation in the category, and then added a two-inning save Wednesday on the road against Alabama State. Burns leads the team with six appearances this year and owns a 1.69 earned run average. He has only allowed two earned runs and seven hits this season.
 
WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?
Following this weekend's three-game home series against Eastern Illinois, the Samford University baseball team will return to the road for a pair of midweek matchups against in-state foes. On Tuesday, the Bulldogs are scheduled to play at Jacksonville State at 3 p.m. (CT) before heading to Alabama for a Wednesday matchup to be held at 6 p.m., in Tuscaloosa.
 
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.

Game #1:  Friday at 6 p.m. (CT)  |  Tickets  |  Video  |  Live Stats
Game #2:  Saturday at 2 p.m. (CT)  |  Tickets  |  Video  |  Live Stats
Game #3:  Sunday at 1 p.m. (CT)  |  Video  |  Live Stats  |  Fan Appreciation Day (FREE admission)

Samford Game Notes