GAME NOTES: SAMFORD VS. UT MARTIN
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford baseball team will open the 2021 season with a home series against former OVC rival UT Martin this weekend at Joe Lee Griffin Field. The teams are scheduled to play Friday at 2 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
Samford posted a record of 13-2 in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. UT Martin finished with a record of 5-11 last season.
THE RUN DOWN
Opponent: vs. UT Martin (0-0)
Dates: Feb. 19-21, 2021
Site: Birmingham, Ala. (Joe Lee Griffin Field)
Time: 2 p.m. (Feb. 19), 2 p.m. (Feb. 20), 1 p.m. (Feb. 21)
TV: ESPN+: Click Here-Friday,
Click Here-Saturday,
Click Here-Sunday
Live Stats: Click Here-Friday,
Click Here-Saturday,
Click Here-Sunday
SERIES HISTORY
- Samford and UT Martin have met 32 previous times, with Samford owning a 23-9 advantage in the series.
- The teams last met in 2019 in a three-game series at Joe Lee Griffin Field, with Samford winning two of the three contests. Samford won the first two games by scores of 14-4 and 6-3, but the Skyhawks won game three, 3-1.
- The teams were co-members of the Ohio Valley Conference from 2004 to 2008.
FOCAL POINT
- Samford looks to get the 2021 season off to a hot start as the team enters the season with high expectations, being picked to win the Southern Conference in the league's preseason polls.
BULLDOGS TO WATCH
- Second baseman Brooks Carlson was named the SoCon's Preseason Player of the Year, and he is on the watch list for the Golden Spikes Award, which goes to the top amateur baseball player in the country.
- Samford returns three stellar weekend starters on the mound this season. Junior left-handed pitcher Samuel Strickland, and senior right-handers Jesse McCord and Zach Hester are set to be the Bulldogs' weekend starters. Hester earned 2019 SoCon Pitcher of the Year honors and has a career 2.07 ERA and a 7-4 record. McCord has a 9-4 career record and a 3.71 ERA. Strickland has an 18-5 record and a 2.85 career ERA.
NEWS & NOTES
- Samford head coach Casey Dunn, already the winningest coach in Samford history, enters the season with 498 career wins, leaving him just two wins away from becoming the first Samford coach in any sport to win 500 games. Dunn has won four conference titles, and has posted 12 30-win seasons during his 16 seasons at Samford.
- Samford juniors Samuel Strickland and Brooks Carlson were both named to the Collegiate Baseball preseason All-America teams. Carlson was named to the first team, while Strickland earned third-team honors. Carlson led the SoCon with a .500 batting average in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Strickland posted a 3-0 record and a 1.17 ERA last season.
- Entering this season, Strickland is tied for third in school history in career wins. Strickland currently has 18 wins. The current record holder is Josh Martin with 24 career victories.
