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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford University baseball team will conclude play in its six-game homestand Tuesday at 6 p.m. (CT) as the Bulldogs host the Alabama Crimson Tide in a marquee midweek showdown to be held at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
 
Samford (5-3) enters the matchup with a full head of steam after earning a doubleheader sweep of Harvard on Saturday. The Bulldogs cruised to an 8-0 victory in game one before earning a 3-1 triumph in the nightcap. With its doubleheader sweep, Samford earned a 3-1 victory in the four-game home series with the Crimson.
 
The Bulldogs own a 4-1 record at home this season and are outscoring their opponents by a total of 29-14 at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
 
Samford owns a 21-6 record against in-state opponents since April 7, 2015, including a 9-4 record in 2017.
 
Alabama (7-0) heads into Tuesday's matchup as one of the hottest teams in the nation. The Crimson Tide boasts an undefeated record and is coming off a three-game sweep of Washington State, earning wins of 12-4, 8-2 and 9-3. Alabama opened its 2018 campaign with a home sweep of Valparaiso before notching a 4-0 win over Middle Tennessee last week.
 
Tuesday's game will mark the Crimson Tide's first road matchup of the season. Alabama finished the 2017 campaign with a 5-11-1 record in road games.
 
BULLDOGS' RECORD VERSUS ALABAMA - - THE DUNN ERA
Since Head Coach Casey Dunn took the reins to the Bulldogs' baseball program in 2004, Samford has compiled an 8-15 record against Alabama. Last season, the teams only played once as the Bulldogs registered a 10-3 road victory over the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa.
 
LAST SEASON'S MATCHUP
Samford pounded out 13 hits and rolled to a 10-3 road victory against the Crimson Tide in an in-state showdown held at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.
 
The Bulldogs received a brilliant pitching performance from starter Cody Shelton. Shelton didn't allow a single earned run, while limiting the Crimson Tide to four hits in five innings. Shelton compiled six strikeouts and left the game after five full frames of action with a 3-1 advantage.
 
The Bulldogs opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning and two more in the third to garner an early 3-0 advantage.
 
Alabama notched its first score in the fifth frame before adding single runs in both the eighth and ninth innings.
 
Samford received a huge two-run homer from Troy Dixon in the seventh inning to stop the Crimson Tide's momentum and then rallied for five runs in the ninth frame to provide the knockout punch.
 
Sophomore right-fielder Jordan Fucci reached base safely in all five at-bats and turned in a stellar 3-for-3 outing at the dish. He also scored a run for the Bulldogs.
 
TUESDAY NIGHT'S PITCHING MATCHUP
Samford - - - #24 RHP Erin Baldwin (1-0, 1.59 ERA - - - Senior, Lake Charles, La.)
Alabama - - - #21 LHP Garret Rukes (0-0, 0.00 ERA - - - Freshman, Coconut Creek, Fla.)
 
EDENS IN THE RECORD BOOK
Samford's Austin Edens, who is in the early portion of his senior season, is already one of the most decorated players in school history. He is currently ranked among the top five hitters in a number of statistical categories, including home runs, RBI, total bases and doubles.
 
ALL-TIME HOME RUNS
1. Brandon Miller (2009-12), 50
2. Austin Edens (2015 - current), 46
 
ALL-TIME RUNS BATTED IN
1. Heath Quinn (2014-16), 181
2. Brandon Miller (2009-12), 178
3. Austin Edens (2015 - current), 159
 
ALL-TIME TOTAL BASES
1. Brandon Miller (2009-12), 498
2. Heath Quinn (2014-16), 425
3. Austin Edens (2015 - current), 404
 
ALL-TIME DOUBLES
1. Bear Burnett (2005-08), 52
2. Brandon Miller (2009-12), 51
3. Heath Quinn (2014-16), 48
4. Phillip Ervin (2011-13), 47
5. Hunter Swilling (2014-16), 46
6. Austin Edens (2015 - current), 42
 
PINTO NAMED SAMFORD HITTER OF THE WEEK
Samford true freshman Max Pinto turned in a brilliant .700 batting average last week after going 7-for-10 with three RBI, three runs scored and a trio of doubles. He also stole a pair of bases and finished the week with a stellar 1.000 slugging percentage, as well as a .727 on-base percentage in home games against Jacksonville State and Harvard. Pinto tallied a perfect 6-for-6 performance at the plate in Saturday's doubleheader sweep of Harvard and added two stolen bases, two doubles and a pair of RBI.
 
WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?
Following Tuesday's home in-state showdown with Alabama, the Samford University baseball team will next be in action Friday at 3 p.m. (CT) as the Bulldogs begin a three-game road series against the Kennesaw State Owls to be held at Stillwell Stadium on the campus of Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia.
 
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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