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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford University baseball team will compete in its 2018 home opener Tuesday at 4 p.m. (CT) as the Bulldogs welcome the undefeated Jacksonville State Gamecocks to Joe Lee Griffin Field for an early-season, in-state showdown.
 
Samford (1-2) enters the contest with a full head of steam Tuesday after earning a momentous 5-4 road victory at No. 22-ranked UCF on Sunday.
 
In the win, the Bulldogs rallied to score three runs on five hits in the top of the ninth inning to knock off the nationally-ranked Knights. Leading 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth inning, Samford reliever Wyatt Burns was facing UCF's Matthew Mika with two outs and a runner on second base.
 
Mika connected on a 1-0 pitch and sent a single down the left-field line to seemingly score the speedy Maximillion Wood from second base, but the Bulldogs' Sam McWhorter hustled quickly to get the roller and fired a rope to catcher Anthony Mulrine behind the plate to tag Wood out and secure Samford's one-run victory.
 
Senior first baseman Austin Edens started things off in the ninth with a single to right field as the Bulldogs trailed UCF, 4-2. Edens went 3-for-4 on the day, including three straight singles. After a Max Pinto strikeout, Edens advanced to second base as true freshman Brooks Carlson singled to right field.
 
Samford's Ayrton Schafer then singled down the left field line to score McWhorter from second base to trim the Knight's lead to 4-3 with one out.
 
The Bulldogs' next hitter, Taylor Garris, flied out to right field before Ryan Crockett stepped into the batter's box with two outs and runners on first and second. Crockett, who pinch hit for Sam Teague, was facing the Knights' relief pitcher Bryce Tucker, and subsequently ripped a 1-0 pitch for a single to right field.
 
On the base hit, pinch runner Blaine Smith scored from second base and then Schafer was also able to score all the way from first base as right fielder Brody Wofford committed an error. Crockett's key hit, as well as Smith and Schaffer's heads-up base-running gave Samford its decisive 5-4 victory.
 
OPENING WEEKEND
Samford finished the 2018 UCF Tournament with a 1-2 record. The Bulldogs surrendered two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to drop a heartbreaking 8-7 decision to Rice in the opener Friday, before losing 10-4 against No. 15 Virginia in the Saturday game. On Sunday, Samford posted its thrilling 5-4 win over No. 22 UCF.
 
BULLDOGS KNOCK OFF NATIONALLY-RANKED OPPONENT
Samford's victory over No. 22-ranked UCF on Sunday proved to be its first win over a top-25 ranked opponent since June 6, 2012, when the Bulldogs defeated No. 17 Mississippi State, 3-2, for the second time in two days and knocked the Bulldogs out of the Florida State Regional in the NCAA Tournament.
 
SCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS
Jacksonville State (3-0) earned a series sweep of Southern Illinois at home over the weekend. The Gamecocks tallied victories of 7-4, 10-9 and 6-0 in the matchup held at Choccolocco Park in Oxford.
 
After collecting five hits and finishing the first weekend of the season with five RBI, Jacksonville State utility player Trent Simpson earned the first Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week honor for the 2018 season, announced by the league office on Monday.

Simpson began his season senior by helping the Gamecocks post a season-opening weekend sweep of Southern Illinois in multiple ways – offensively and in a closers role. He finished the weekend with three of the hits for extra base and connected on his first of two home runs of the weekend with one on opening day and gave JSU the lead it needed on Sunday with a solo home run in the second inning en route to a 6-0 win over SIU.

Simpson also notched his first career save on Friday as he registered three strikeouts. He is the first Gamecock to claim the conference honor since former JSU standout Josh Bobo was named the league's weekly award winner in April, 2016. Simpson will carry a 10-game hitting streak that dates back to the final seven games of the 2017 season
 
LAST SEASON'S SERIES
In 2017, Samford and Jacksonville State split its annual home-and-home series with each team winning on its home field. The Gamecocks tallied a 9-5 victory on March 14, while the Bulldogs earned a 6-1 home win May 16. Samford's stars in the series were Jordan Fucci (.429, HR, 2 RBI), Austin Edens (.400, 2B, R), Branden Fryman (.333, RBI, R) and Erin Baldwin (0.00 ERA, W).
 
COMING UP NEXT
Following Tuesday's home-opening contest against in-state rival Jacksonville State, the Samford
University baseball team will next be in action Friday at 4 p.m. (CT) as the Bulldogs begin a four-game series against the Harvard Crimson to be held at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
 
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