Game 1:  Friday, March 9  |  4:30 p.m. (CT)  |  Video  |  Live Stats
Game 2:  Saturday, March 10  |  Noon (CT)  |  Video  |  Live Stats
Game 3:  Sunday, March 11  |  1 p.m. (CT)  |  Video  |  Live Stats

Samford Game Notes

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford University baseball team will play host to a three-game nonconference homestand this weekend as the Bulldogs are ready to face the Georgia State Panthers in an early-season series to be held at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
 
The first matchup of the three-game set will be held Friday at 4:30 p.m. (CT). The teams will then square off at noon on Saturday and 1 p.m., on Sunday.
 
Samford (7-7) heads into the weekend looking to build on a strong 5-1 home victory against Austin Peay on Wednesday. The Bulldogs rattled off 11 hits in the win and used a big four-run third inning to help defeat the Governors. Samford also added a score in the eighth frame to assist in putting the game out of reach.
 
The Bulldogs' Tristan Widra started the game and hurled four shutout innings. Samford's senior right-hander from Hoover also added five strikeouts in the victory. Fellow seniors Jake Greer, Josh Rich and Erin Baldwin all contributed with solid outings on the mound as well.
 
Samford's Troy Dixon, Branden Fryman and Sam Teague all registered two-hit performances Wednesday, while true freshman Brooks Carlson continued to swing a hot bat and turned in a brilliant 3-for-4 outing at the plate. Carlson, who played first base for the first time in his career, now leads the team with a .381 batting average this season.
 
Georgia State (8-4) enters the weekend having won four of its last five games, including last weekend's sweep of Eastern Illinois. On Wednesday, the Panthers suffered their first loss since Feb. 24, in a 12-6 home defeat against Georgia Tech.
 
So far this season, Georgia State leads the nation in doubles play per game at 1.50 (18 double plays in 12 games). Junior catcher Nick Gatewood is the Panthers' leading hitter at .366 with two homers and eight RBI while throwing out seven of 10 runners attempting to steal. He was named this week to the watch list for the 2018 Johnny Bench Award as the nation's top catcher.
 
Georgia State senior shortstop Justin Jones is a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-America, earning second-team honors in 2017 after third-team accolades in 2016. His grade-point average, which is now 4.11, was the highest on the entire Academic America team.
 
The Georgia State pitching staff ranks fourth in the Sun Belt with a 3.88 earned run average. That includes a 6-1 mark and a 2.52 ERA for the weekend rotation of Hunter Gaddis, Jake Rogers and Jordan Lee.
 
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
Friday - - - SAM RHP Cody Shelton (Sr., 0-1, 3.95) vs. GSU RHP Hunter Gaddis (So., 3-0, 0.93)
Saturday - - - SAM RHP Stephen Jones (Jr., 0-2, 7.53) vs. GSU RHP Jake Rogers (Jr., 2-1, 3.18)
Sunday - - - SAM LHP Samuel Strickland (Fr., 2-0, 1.08) vs. GSU RHP Jordan Lee (Sr., 1-0, 3.63)
 
SAMFORD'S PRESEASON ALL-SOCON HONORS
The Bulldogs' Shelton was tabbed as a First-Team All-Southern Conference member prior to the start of the season, while Wyatt Burns, Troy Dixon and Aryton Schafer all headlined the second team.
 
Shelton, the Bulldogs' junior starting pitcher, received First-Team All-SoCon preseason honors after finishing the 2017 campaign with a 5-3 record and a 2.69 earned run average. Samford's talented right-hander from Brentwood, Tennessee, accumulated 59 strikeouts last season and only allowed a total of 19 earned runs.
 
Burns received Second-Team All-SoCon preseason accolades for a second straight year. The Bulldogs' talented senior reliever finished the 2017 campaign with 12 saves, 44 strikeouts and only 12 earned runs. Burns registered a team-high 28 appearances last season, posted a brilliant 5-1 record and concluded the year with a 2.25 earned run average.
 
Samford Dixon and Schafer also received Second-Team All-SoCon honors. Dixon, a junior this season, registered a .313 batting average in 2017 and added 33 runs and 31 RBI. Schafer, who completed a breakout freshman campaign last season, batted .331 and hammered 11 home runs. The Bulldogs' power hitter from Collierville, Tennessee, also drove in 38 runs and scored 36 runs.
 
QUICK NOTES
- - - Branden Fryman's father, Travis Fryman, played 13 years in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians. He is currently a hitting instructor for the Cleveland Indians farm system. He also managed the Mahoning Valley Scrappers from 2008 to 2010.
 
- - - Samford's Burns is the SoCon's active leader in saves with 22. The Bulldogs' senior closer is also the conference's SoCon's active career leader in earned run average (2.74), lowest opponent batting average (.226) and fewest hits allowed per nine innings (7.25).
 
- - - Two years ago, Samford's Austin Edens powered 19 home runs and finished the year ranked eighth in the nation in the category. The Bulldogs' powerful senior first baseman is the school's all-time home run hitter with 46 and is also the NCAA's active home run leader as well.
 
BULLDOGS DEFEAT #22 UCF
Samford's victory over No. 22-ranked UCF on Feb. 18, 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.
 
WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?
Following this weekend's home series against Georgia State, the Samford University baseball team will next be in action Wednesday at 6 p.m. (CT) as the Bulldogs travel to Montgomery for a midweek road test against the Alabama State Hornets to be held at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex.
 
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:  Friday, March 9  |  4:30 p.m. (CT)  |  Video  |  Live Stats
Game 2:  Saturday, March 10  |  Noon (CT)  |  Video  |  Live Stats
Game 3:  Sunday, March 11  |  1 p.m. (CT)  |  Video  |  Live Stats

Samford Game Notes