Game 1:  Friday, April 6  |  5:00 PM (CT)  |  Video  |  Audio  |  Live Stats
Game 2:  Saturday, April 7  |  10:00 AM (CT)  |  Video  |  Audio  |  Live Stats
Game 3:  Sunday, April 8  |  Noon (CT)  |  Video  |  Audio  |  Live Stats

Game Notes  |  SoCon Notes  |  Tickets

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The Samford University baseball team will take its five-game winning streak on the road this weekend as the Bulldogs square off against The Citadel Bulldogs in a three-game Southern Conference series to be held at Joe Riley Park.
 
The series is slated to begin Friday at 5 p.m. (CT) and will continue Saturday with a 10 a.m., start. Sunday's series finale is scheduled to begin at noon.
 
Samford (16-14, 4-2 SoCon) boasts a perfect 3-0 record on the road in conference play this season after sweeping Furman in Greenville last weekend. Since March 27, the Bulldogs have also posted lopsided in-state victories against UAB, 8-2, and Alabama State, 15-6.
 
In Tuesday's home win against Alabama State, Samford's Austin Edens, the NCAA's active career leader in home runs, blasted a pair of round-trippers, the 48^th and 49^th of his illustrious career, including a grand slam and six RBI.
 
In the victory, Samford registered a season-high 19 hits and scored a season-high 15 runs. The Bulldogs also extended their winning streak to five straight games.
 
Edens, who is Samford's all-time home run hitter with 49 career blasts, paced the Bulldogs' offensive attack Tuesday with a 3-for-3 outing at the plate. He also added a pair of runs scored to go along with his season-high six RBI.
 
Additionally, Samford's Branden Fryman posted a 4-for-6 outing at the dish with three runs and two RBI. The Bulldogs' Troy Dixon added a 3-for-5 performance with three runs scored and an RBI, while Anthony Mulrine and Taylor Garris both registered two-hit outings. Mulrine drove in three RBI with a 2-for-5 day at the plate, as Garris finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.
 
The Citadel (12-16, 3-3 SoCon) enters the weekend with aspirations of snapping a four-game losing streak. Since earning a 5-0 triumph at VMI on Friday, The Citadel has dropped consecutive contests against VMI (12-3 and 12-4), Georgia Southern, 12-7, and Winthrop, 12-6.
 
In Wednesday's home loss to Winthrop, The Citadel tallied 13 hits, including four that went for extra bases, but the Bulldogs ultimately fell, 12-6, in the second game of a home-and-home series with the Eagles.

The Citadel's Jeffery Brown continued his recent hot streak with a 3-for-4 outing at the plate with one run batted in. In the last three games, Brown has led the squad by batting .615 (8-of-13) with two runs scored, two doubles, a triple and four runs batted in. He has slugged .923 and boasts a .615 on-base percentage while swiping three bases during the stretch.

Taylor Cothran also went 3-or-4 with an RBI at the dish, while Jonathan Sabo went 2-for-4 with a run scored. The Citadel's Friday night starter, Dylan Spence, is the reigning SoCon Pitcher of the Week. He threw seven scoreless innings in a 5-0 road victory at VMI last week.
 
SAMFORD vs. THE CITADEL - - THE ALL-TIME SERIES
Samford owns a 17-10 record over The Citadel in the all-time series between the teams. The Bulldogs have claimed the last two series, including a 2-1 record last season. In 2017, Samford won the first game 1-0 with The Citadel winning game-two 8-6. Samford claimed the series with a 7-4 victory in the finale. The year before, Samford swept all three games 7-6, 5-4 and 11-7.
 
THIS WEEKEND'S PITCHING MATCHUPS
 
SAMFORD'S STARTING ROTATION
Friday - - RHP, Cody Shelton, Sr. (Brentwood, Tennessee) - - 0-2 (3.86 ERA)
Saturday - - LHP, Samuel Strickland, Fr. (Birmingham, Alabama) - - 4-0 (1.64 ERA)
Sunday - - RHP, Stephen Jones, Jr. (Tallahassee, Florida) - - 2-4 (4.04 ERA)
 
THE CITADEL'S STARTING ROTATION
Friday - - RHP, Dylan Spence, Jr. (Belton, South Carolina) - - 2-2 (2.51 ERA)
Saturday - - TBA
Sunday - - TBA
 
SAMFORD PICKED TO FINISH THIRD IN SOCON
Samford was predicted to finish third in the SoCon preseason standings by both the coaches and media as the league headquarters officially released the annual picks. In the coaches' vote, Samford received 43 points and came in third place behind UNCG and Mercer, which both finished tied for first place with 58 points apiece.
 
On the media side, the Bulldogs' 82 points placed third again behind Mercer and UNCG. Mercer garnered the first-place spot with 119 points, while UNCG followed with 114. The Citadel was picked to finish last in the poll.
 
SAMFORD'S PRESEASON ALL-SOCON HONORS
The Bulldogs' Shelton was tabbed as a First-Team All-SoCon member prior to the start of the season, while Wyatt Burns, 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's 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.
 
SAMFORD'S DUNN REACHES 400-WIN PLATEAU
With the Bulldogs' 7-0 home victory against Western Carolina on April 30, 2017, Samford head coach Casey Dunn reached the 400-win mark for his career. He currently owns an impressive 423-365 all-time record with the Bulldogs.
 
Dunn is in the midst of his 14th season at the helm of Samford's baseball program. He was named Samford's head baseball coach in August 2004. Under his leadership, the Bulldogs have posted 30-plus wins in 10 of the last 12 seasons, including the 2017 campaign. The team has also played in the SoCon Tournament title game in four of the last seven years.
 
In 2012, Dunn coached the Bulldogs to their first SoCon championship and NCAA Tournament bid. The team also set a school record for wins with 41. Also in 2012, Dunn's squad produced a school-record seven Major League Baseball Draft picks, and it had a total of nine players sign with MLB teams.
 
BULLDOGS TAKE MISSION TRIP TO DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
In October, Samford raised its own funds and participated in a special mission trip to the Dominican Republic over fall break. The Bulldogs spent five days on the trip and visited orphanages, distributed food, helped construct houses and ministered to young children, while teaching them more about the great game of baseball.
 
WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?
Following this weekend's three-game SoCon series at The Citadel, the Samford University baseball team will next be in action Tuesday at 6 p.m. (CT) as the Bulldogs play at home against the No. 13-ranked Auburn Tigers at Joe Lee Griffin Field.

Game 1:  Friday, April 6  |  5:00 PM (CT)  |  Video  |  Audio  |  Live Stats
Game 2:  Saturday, April 7  |  10:00 AM (CT)  |  Video  |  Audio  |  Live Stats
Game 3:  Sunday, April 8  |  Noon (CT)  |  Video  |  Audio  |  Live Stats

Game Notes  |  SoCon Notes  |  Tickets