Game 1 - - Thursday, May 18, 5 p.m. (CT) - - Video  |  Audio  |  Live Stats  |  FREE ADMISSION
Game 2 - - Friday, May 19, 5 p.m. (CT) - - Video  |  Live Stats  |  FREE ADMISSION
Game 3 - - Saturday, May 20, Noon (CT) - - Video  |  Audio  |  Live Stats  |  FREE ADMISSION

Samford Game Notes

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford University baseball team will begin play in its final three-game series of the 2017 regular season Thursday as the Bulldogs are slated to square off against the UNCG Spartans at 5 p.m. (CT) at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
 
Following Thursday's series-opening matchup, the teams are scheduled to play Friday at 5 p.m., and Saturday at noon.
 
Prior to Saturday's game, Samford will hold a special Senior Day Presentation as the Bulldogs' Jared Brasher, Mikhail Cazenave, Tanner Cunningham and T.J. Dixon will all be honored for their hard work and dedication throughout their collegiate careers.
 
GETTING STARTED
Samford (29-23, 9-12 SoCon) enters its final series of the regular season with a bit of positive momentum after earning a 6-1 home victory against Jacksonville State on Tuesday. With their recent win, the Bulldogs improved to 18-9 at home this season.
 
Samford also closed out the non-conference season with an impressive 9-4 record against in-state opponents, including victories over No. 23 Auburn, Alabama, Troy, UAB, Jacksonville State, Alabama State and Alabama A&M.
 
The Bulldogs are ranked No. 38 in the nation in fewest hits allowed per nine innings. Samford's pitching staff is only allowing a total of 8.27 hits per game this season and is currently ranked first in the conference with a 4.36 earned run average.
 
Offensively, true freshman third baseman Taylor Garris paces the Bulldogs with a .356 batting average this season. Samford's talented native of Sarasota, Florida, has also tallied 31 runs, 30 RBI and four home runs this year.
 
The Bulldogs' T.J. Dixon boasts a .329 average this season and is ranked No. 25 in the nation in stolen bases (21), No. 45 in stolen bases per game (0.40) and No. 60 in triples (4). Samford's senior center fielder also leads the team in runs (44), hits (70), triples (4), RBI (37) and stolen bases (21).
 
Samford's leading home run hitters this season are Kevin Williams, Jr., Ayrton Schafer and Austin Edens. Williams, Jr., paces the Bulldogs with 11 big flies this year, while Schafer and Edens follow with 10 and nine, respectively.
 
DID YOU KNOW?
Under the tutelage of Head Coach Casey Dunn, Samford is the winningest Division I program in the state of Alabama since 2011, and the Bulldogs have had 19 players selected in the MLB Draft over the last six years.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT
Samford earned a 6-1 triumph against in-state rival Jacksonville State on Tuesday as the Bulldogs used nine pitchers and limited the Gamecocks to only five hits en route to the nonconference home victory held at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
 
Samford jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning and never looked back. The Bulldogs added a run in the fourth, two more in the seventh and scored their sixth tally in the bottom of the eighth. Samford registered 10 hits in the victory, five of which proved to be earned despite four errors from Jacksonville State.
 
The Bulldogs' Grant Colton starred Tuesday by going 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBI. Samford's junior catcher also blasted the team's momentous two-run bomb to left field in the bottom of the second frame. Colton's homer proved to be his first of the season and played out to be the biggest hit of the Bulldogs' win.
 
Samford's T.J. Dixon, Branden Fryman and Jordan Fucci also registered two-hit performances against Jacksonville State. Additionally, Dixon and Fucci added RBI on Tuesday.
 
The Bulldogs' talented true freshman Taylor Garris and Schafer also tallied base hits in the victory.
 
Erin Baldwin earned his first career start on the mound for the Bulldogs and tallied his second win of the season. Samford's junior transfer from LSU-Eunice Community College earned two strikeouts and retired six straight batters in the triumph.
 
The Bulldogs also received solid pitching performances from Connor Radcliff, Jack Rude, Josh Rich, Jake Greer, Cunningham, Tristan Widra and Kyle Stuart.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
UNCG (30-19, 13-8 SoCon) heads into this week's series tied for second place in the conference standings with Western Carolina. The Spartans cannot catch first-place Mercer here in the last series of the regular season, but they can possibly fall all the way to fifth place if swept by Samford and Wofford wins all three games on the road at The Citadel.
 
UNCG has been victorious in three of its last four games. The Spartans won their final outing at VMI on May 7, 8-5, and then claimed last week's series at home against The Citadel. UNCG came up short in the first game, 5-2, but then rallied for back-to-back victories of 8-2 and 15-5 (7).
 
The Spartans have proven to be dominant at home this season with a 20-9 record, but are only 9-10 when playing on the road. In SoCon play this year, UNCG is 5-4 when playing away from home.
 
The Spartans enter their series at Samford ranked third in the nation with a .329 team batting average. UNCG is also ranked first in the country in triples (30), No. 16 in hits (559), No. 17 in scoring (7.6 runs per game) and No. 19 in on-base percentage (.398).
 
Individually, freshman Caleb Webster is ranked second in the nation with a .411 batting average. The Spartans' third baseman from Randleman, North Carolina, is in the midst of an eight-game hitting streak and is also ranked No. 7 in the country in hits per game (1.63).
 
Sophomore Andrew Moritz is hitting .395 this season and is ranked No. 12 in the nation.
 
BULLDOGS' RECORD AGAINST UNCG - - THE DUNN ERA
Since Dunn took the reins to Samford's baseball program in 2004, the Bulldogs have compiled a solid 17-8 record against UNCG. Last year, the teams played four times with Samford earning a 3-1 record, including a key 8-5 victory in the opening round of the 2016 SoCon Tournament.
 
During the regular season, the Bulldogs took two out of three games from the Spartans in Greensboro, North Carolina. Samford lost the first game of the series, 10-2, but then bounced back to sweep a Saturday doubleheader by scores of 9-3 and 9-5.
 
THIS WEEKEND'S PITCHING MATCHUPS
 
SAMFORD'S STARTING ROTATION
Thursday - - RHP, Mikhail Cazenave, Sr. (Rainbow City, Alabama) - - 3-7 (5.09 ERA)
Friday - - RHP, Cody Shelton, So. (Brentwood, Tennessee) - - 5-2 (2.18 ERA)
Saturday - - TBA
 
UNCG'S STARTING ROTATION
Thursday - - LHP, Bryce Hensley, Jr. (Asheville, North Carolina) - - 6-6 (4.52 ERA)
Friday - - RHP, Matt Frisbee, So. (Candler, North Carolina) - - 7-2 (4.17 ERA)
Saturday - - RHP, Dan Loats, Jr. (Eden Prairie, Minnesota) - - 6-2 (5.43 ERA)
 
QUICK NOTES ON SAMFORD
(1.): Samford owns a perfect 23-0 record when leading after six innings this season. The Bulldogs are also 22-0 after seven and 23-0 when leading after eight frames.
 
(2.): Samford holds an impressive 22-3 record when scoring first this year. Additionally, the Bulldogs boast a 9-4 record in one-run games.
 
(3.): Four different Samford players have earned five-RBI performances this season. Edens and Williams, Jr., have both accomplished the feat, as have true freshmen Schafer and Garris. Schafer has registered five RBI in a single game twice this season.
 
SCHAFER NAMED SAMFORD'S PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Samford's Schafer hit .500 (5-for-10) last week with two home runs, six RBI, five runs scored and a double. The Bulldogs' true freshman also posted a 1.200 slugging percentage and a .615 on-base percentage. Schafer tallied at least one hit in all three games, including back-to-back, two-hit performances Saturday and Sunday on the road at ETSU.
 
On Saturday, Samford's designated hitter blasted a pair of home runs against the Bucs, including a key grand slam as Schafer drove in five of the Bulldogs' eight runs in the matchup. In three games last week, he finished 1-for-2, 2-for-4 and 2-for-4. Schafer also reached base three times via walk and only struck out twice in a total of 13 plate appearances.
 
SAMFORD IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
 
Team - - - - -
#32 | Double Plays Turned (47)
#38 | Fewest Hits Allowed Per Nine Innings (8.27)
#50 | Double Plays Per Game (0.90)
#58 | Pitching Strikeouts Per Nine Innings (8.4)
#62 | Home Runs (48)
#66 | Home Runs Per Game (0.92)
 
Wyatt Burns - - - - -
#12 | Saves (12)
 
Mikhail Cazenave - - - - -
#20 | Games Started (13)
 
T.J. Dixon - - - - -
#25 | Stolen Bases (21)
#45 | Stolen Bases Per Game (0.40)
#60 | Triples (4)
 
Branden Fryman - - - - -
#39 | Sacrifice Bunts (10)
 
Cody Shelton - - - - -
#46 | Earned Run Average (2.18)
#80 | Fewest Hits Allowed Per Nine Innings (7.02)
 
WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?
Following this week's regular-season ending series against UNCG, the Samford University baseball team will next be in action Wednesday in Greenville, South Carolina, as the Bulldogs begin play in the 2017 SoCon Championship presented by Holston Gases, which will again be held at the immaculate Fluor Field.
 
The finalized seedings and matchups won't be officially determined until Saturday evening. Samford enters the week in sole possession of sixth place in the SoCon standings, while UNCG is tied for second place with Western Carolina. Mercer has already solidified the regular-season title and the top seed in the upcoming SoCon Tournament.
 
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 - - Thursday, May 18, 5 p.m. (CT) - - Video  |  Audio  |  Live Stats  |  FREE ADMISSION
Game 2 - - Friday, May 19, 5 p.m. (CT) - - Video  |  Live Stats  |  FREE ADMISSION
Game 3 - - Saturday, May 20, Noon (CT) - - Video  |  Audio  |  Live Stats  |  FREE ADMISSION

Samford Game Notes