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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford University baseball team will return to nonconference play Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. (CT) as the Bulldogs head downtown to face the UAB Blazers in an intra-city showdown to be held at Regions Field.
 
Samford (11-14) heads into the contest looking to bounce back from a hard-fought 2-1 home loss to ETSU on Sunday.
 
In the rubber game, the Bulldogs scored their lone run of the matchup in the bottom of the fifth frame as senior designated hitter Austin Edens led off the inning by drawing a walk. He later scored from third base on a wild pitch from the Buccaneers' Drew Korzybski.
 
Both of ETSU's runs were scored in the top of the fifth inning as Cade Gilbert and David Beam were both walked home. In a frame that featured five walks from the Bulldogs, Gilbert was hit by pitch to lead off the inning and Beam was also walked to reach base.
 
Samford's Stephen Jones started the game for the Bulldogs and was on cruise control until the fifth inning. He only allowed two hits in 4.1 innings of action, but gave up both of the Buccaneers' runs in the game.
 
The Bulldogs' Taylor Garris paced the squad with two hits in a 2-for-3 performance at the plate, while Branden Fryman, Brooks Carlson, Troy Dixon and Anthony Mulrine also added base hits Sunday.
 
ETSU's total of two hits in the game were posted by Ben Jackson and Beam. The Buccaneers' starting pitcher Russell Koesters went 4.1 innings and only allowed one earned run on four hits. James Giambalvo faced the final two batters of the game and notched his second save of the season.
 
UAB (10-12) gave league-leading Louisiana Tech all it could handle over the weekend, but fell 1-2 in the series. Tanner Graham pitched lights out Friday giving UAB its third shutout win of the season. The Blazers then battled Saturday, but fell one run short, 7-6, before the teams played into the 12th on Sunday in a 9-4 victory by Louisiana Tech.
 
Tyler Tolbert has been a force on the base paths for UAB this season. The sophomore is hitting .346 with nine hits, seven runs, three RBI, nine total bases and is a perfect 3-for-3 on stolen base attempts in Conference USA play. Additionally, Tolbert ranks 24th in the nation in stolen bases with 12 and 28th in stolen bases per game swiping 0.6 through 21 games this season.
 
Since moving into Regions Field at the start of the 2014 season, UAB has enjoyed a vast amount of success putting together a 51-22 record when playing in the ballpark.
 
TUESDAY'S PITCHING MATCHUP
Samford - - LHP, Hamp Skinner, So. (Jacksonville, Florida) || 3-1 (5.66 ERA)
UAB - - LHP, Cole Whitman, So. (Pelham, Alabama) || 0-2 (2.79 ERA)
 
SAMFORD vs. UAB - - THE ALL-TIME SERIES
The Bulldogs and Blazers will meet for the 85^th time Tuesday. UAB holds a 56-28 all-time record in the series, but Samford has been victorious in four of the last five meetings between the teams, including a dominant 13-2 record dating back to April 20, 2010. Last season, the teams split the annual home-and-home series, with each team winning on the field of its opponents. The Bulldogs won 5-1 at UAB on March 28, while the Blazers posted a 9-3 victory at Joe Lee Griffin Field on May 2.
 
EDENS IN THE RECORD BOOK
Samford's Austin Edens, who is the school's all-time home run leader with 47 round-trippers, 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. Austin Edens (2015 - current), 47
2. Heath Quinn (2014-16), 44
 
ALL-TIME RUNS BATTED IN
1. Heath Quinn (2014-16), 181
2. Austin Edens (2015 - current), 160
 
ALL-TIME TOTAL BASES
1. Heath Quinn (2014-16), 425
2. Austin Edens (2015 - current), 416
 
ALL-TIME DOUBLES
1. Bear Burnett (2005-08), 52
2. Heath Quinn (2014-16), 48
3. Phillip Ervin (2011-13), 47
4. Hunter Swilling (2014-16), 46
5. Austin Edens (2015 - current), 42
 
BULLDOGS' MULRINE NAMED TO JOHNNY BENCH AWARD WATCH LIST
Samford's Anthony Mulrine was officially named to the Watch List for the 2018 Johnny Bench Award, it was announced March 7, by the Greater Wichita Area Sports
Commission.
 
Samford's talented sophomore catcher from Davie, Florida, owns a .256 batting average this season to go along with five home runs and a team-high 19 RBI. He has already started in 24 games and added 12 runs and 20 walks. Last season, Mulrine earned Southern Conference All-Freshman Team honors and led the conference in throwing out potential base-stealers with 27.
 
Mulrine is listed among the nation's elite catchers on the Johnny Bench Award Watch List. Joining him on the prestigious listing are Texas A&M's Cole Bedford, Arkansas' Grant Koch, Texas' DJ Petrinsky, Florida State's Cal Raleigh, Louisville's Pat Rumoro, Arizona's Cesar Salazar and Florida's JJ Schwarz, among others.
 
SAMFORD IN THE 2018 NATIONAL RANKINGS
 
Team - - - - -
#23 | Fewest Hits Allowed Per Nine Innings (7.37)
#34 | Pitching Strikeouts Per Nine Innings (9.7)
#52 | WHIP (1.30)
#59 | Times Hit By Pitch (30)
#75 | Stolen Bases (28)
#81 | Sacrifice Bunts (13)
#90 | Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio (2.23)
 
Samuel Strickland - - - - -
#1 | WHIP (0.57)
#2 | Fewest Hits Allowed Per Nine Innings (3.86)
#22 | Strikeout-To-Walk Ratio (9.00)
#46 | Fewest Walks Allowed Per Nine Innings (1.29)
 
Stephen Jones - - - - -
#10 | Games Started (6)
 
Cody Shelton - - - - -
#10 | Games Started (6)
 
Josh Rich - - - - -
#13 | Pitching Appearances (14)
 
Anthony Mulrine - - - - -
#16 | Hit By Pitch (10)
#26 | Hit By Pitch Per Game (0.42)
 
Troy Dixon - - - - -
#26 | Base On Balls (21)
 
Erin Baldwin - - - - -
#27 | Pitching Appearances (13)
 
WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?
Following Tuesday's road game at UAB, the Samford University baseball team will next be in action Thursday at 5 p.m. (CT) as the Bulldogs begin a three-game SoCon road trip against the Furman Paladins to be held at the Latham Baseball Stadium in Greenville, South Carolina.
 
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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