Tuesday, April 25 (3 PM CT) - - Samford at Alabama A&M - - Live Stats
Wednesday, April 26 (6 PM CT) - - Alabama State at Samford - - Tickets  |  Video  |  Audio  |  Live Stats

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- The Samford University baseball team will square off against a pair of in-state nonconference opponents this week as the Bulldogs play on the road at Alabama A&M on Tuesday before welcoming the Alabama State Hornets to Joe Lee Griffin Field for a 6 p.m. (CT) home matchup to be played Wednesday.
 
Samford's game at Alabama A&M will be held at 3 p.m., at the Bulldog Baseball Field. It will mark the Bulldogs' first road game in Huntsville since April 2, 2014.
 
Samford (22-17) heads into the week with a 17-10 record against nonconference opponents, including an impressive 6-3 mark versus in-state rivals. On April 4, the Bulldogs played host to Alabama A&M (10-34) and earned an 11-3 home victory. Samford also defeated Alabama State (21-20) earlier this season, 10-7, on the road in Montgomery on March 8.
 
Over the weekend, Samford played a three-game road series at Wofford and returned home with a 1-2 record. The Bulldogs lost the first game, 7-5, but then bounced back to take the second contest, 8-2. In the finale, Samford dropped the decisive matchup to the Terriers, 6-3.
 
Since defeating Alabama A&M at home on April 4, the Bulldogs have played six of their last 10 games on the road. With a 9-12 away record this season, Samford owns a 3-7 mark in its last three weeks of competition.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION - - ALABAMA A&M
Alabama A&M enters Tuesday's matchup with a full head of steam after winning the final two games of a three-game series at Mississippi Valley State in Itta Bena, Mississippi. Alabama A&M lost the first game, 5-3, but then bounced back to sweep the final two, 1-0, and 3-1.
 
Alabama A&M's two victories at Mississippi Valley State snapped a 15-game losing streak. The Bulldogs have only won three times at home this season and are 3-14 when playing at the Bulldog Baseball Field. Alabama A&M's last victory at home occurred March 17, against Mississippi Valley State, 9-6.
 
Cornelious Woods leads Alabama A&M in hitting this season with a .313 batting average. He has also added 17 runs and 17 RBI for the Bulldogs. Carson McGregory is also hitting .300 this year with team-highs in runs scored (25), hits (48) and doubles (12).
 
BULLDOGS' RECORD AGAINST ALABAMA A&M - - THE DUNN ERA
Since Head Coach Casey Dunn took the reins to the Bulldogs' baseball program in 2004, Samford has compiled a 12-2 record against Alabama A&M. Last season, the teams played a midweek doubleheader at Joe Lee Griffin Field and split the contest held in Birmingham. Samford plowed its way to a demonstrative 18-6 victory in the first game, but then Alabama A&M rebounded to take game two, 7-5.
 
Earlier this season, Samford hosted Alabama A&M on April 4 and recorded an 11-3 victory.
 
TUESDAY'S PITCHING MATCHUP
Samford - - RHP, Connor Radcliff, So. (Birmingham, Alabama) || 1-2 (10.12 ERA)
Alabama A&M - - TBA
 
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION - - ALABAMA STATE
The Hornets enter this week's nonconference matchup at Samford with a full head of steam after earning a three-game road sweep at Grambling State over the weekend. In a Southwestern Athletic Conference series held in New Orleans, Louisiana, Alabama State defeated the Tigers in three straight games, 12-4, 4-3 and 16-4.
 
Alabama State will play its sixth straight game on the road Wednesday. After being swept at home by Jackson State in conference play April 14-16, the Hornets began their current road swing and are now 4-1 during the stretch.
 
In addition to sweeping Grambling State, Alabama State also won on the road at Jacksonville State, 6-5, on April 18. The Hornets now boast a 9-5 record on the road this season.
 
Alabama State boasts four players hitting over .300 this year. Cage Cox leads the way with an impressive .382 batting average, while Gustavo Rios and Diandre Amion follow with marks of .321 and .311, respectively. Finally, Chris Biocic rounds out the Hornets' list of top hitters with an average of .310.
 
BULLDOGS' RECORD AGAINST ALABAMA STATE - - THE DUNN ERA
Since Dunn took the reins to the Bulldogs' baseball program in 2004, Samford has compiled a 6-1 record against Alabama State. Last season, the teams squared off twice in a home-and-home series with the Bulldogs winning both of the matchups.
 
On March 15, 2016, Samford earned an 18-7 road victory in Montgomery before coming back home to notch a 13-3 win against the Hornets in a duel held in Birmingham.
 
Already this season, the Bulldogs have defeated Alabama State on the road in a 10-7 decision held March 8.
 
WEDNESDAY'S PITCHING MATCHUP
Samford - - TBA
Alabama State - - RHP, Terrell McCall, So. (Lithonia, Georgia) || 1-4 (6.86 ERA)
 
SAMFORD'S QUICK NOTES OF THE WEEK
(1.):  Dunn is just four victories shy of reaching the 400-win plateau. In his 13th season at the helm of the Bulldogs' baseball program, Dunn currently owns a 396-341 all-time record.
 
(2.):  Already this season, the Bulldogs own a perfect 16-0 record when leading after six innings, a 17-0 mark when leading after seven, as well as an 18-0 record when leading after eight innings of action.
 
(3.):  Samford boasts a 14-3 record this season when scoring at least six runs. The Bulldogs are also 16-2 when they score first and an impressive 8-1 in one-run games.
 
SAMFORD'S PLAYER OF THE WEEK - - TROY DIXON
Troy Dixon hit .636 last week with four RBI, two runs scored and a home run. The Bulldogs' sophomore second baseman shined in a road series at Wofford where he finished 7-for-11 at the plate. Dixon hit safely in each game of the series, including a career-high, four-hit performance in Samford's 8-2 victory in game two. He finished the contest 4-for-5 with three RBI and a key home run.
 
In Saturday's finale, Dixon continued his strong weekend with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate. He doubled and was hit by a pitch in the game. Dixon compiled a 1.000 slugging percentage last week, as well as an impressive .615 on-base percentage.
 
On Friday, in the opening game of the road series at Wofford, the Bulldogs' talented native of Mobile turned in a 1-for-3 outing and added a sacrifice fly. He also added eight putout and seven assists in the field.
 
BULLDOGS' PITCHER OF THE WEEK - - MIKHAIL CAZENAVE
Samford's Mikhail Cazenave turned in the Bulldogs' best pitching performance of the week as he hurled a complete-game victory on the road at Wofford on Saturday, 8-2. He only allowed two runs in nine full innings and finished the outing with eight strikeouts. Cazenave earned Samford's key win in the series and only allowed one base on balls, while going the distance in 124 total pitches.
 
WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?
Following Tuesday's 3 p.m. (CT) road matchup at Alabama A&M, the Samford University baseball team will next be in action Wednesday at 6 p.m., as the Bulldogs return home to host the Alabama State Hornets at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
 
This weekend, Samford will resume SoCon play with a huge league series against the Western Carolina Catamounts to be held in Birmingham at "The Griff".
 
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.

Tuesday, April 25 (3 PM CT) - - Samford at Alabama A&M - - Live Stats
Wednesday, April 26 (6 PM CT) - - Alabama State at Samford - - Tickets  |  Video  |  Audio  |  Live Stats