BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford baseball team will host five games this week at Joe Lee Griffin Field, beginning with a game against in-state rival Jacksonville State Wednesday at 4 p.m. The team will then host Toledo in a three-game weekend series, playing Friday at 4 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 12 p.m.
 
Samford enters the week with a record of 3-4 after dropping three games at seventh-ranked Florida over the weekend. The Bulldogs have a 3-1 record so far this season at home.

THE RUN DOWN
Opponents: vs. Jacksonville State (4-3) and Toledo (0-6)
Dates: Mar. 3 and Mar. 5-7, 2021
Site: Birmingham, Ala. (Joe Lee Griffin Field)
Time: 4 p.m. CT (Wednesday), 4 p.m. CT (Friday), 2 p.m. (Saturday), 12 p.m. CT (Sunday)
TV: ESPN+: Click Here (Wed.), Click Here (Fri.), Click Here (Sat.), Click Here (Sun.)
Live Stats: Click Here (Wed.), Click Here (Fri.), Click Here (Sat.), Click Here (Sun.)

SERIES HISTORY

• Samford and Jacksonville State have met 74 previous times, with JSU holding a 48-26 series lead. The teams did not meet last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Samford and Toledo have met three previous times, with Samford holding a 2-1 advantage in the series.   

 
FOCAL POINT

• The Bulldogs look to bounce back after dropping their last four games.

 
BULLDOGS TO WATCH

• Sonny DiChiara was named the Southern Conference Player of the Week after hitting three home runs at No. 7 Florida over the weekend.
• For the season, DiChiara leads the SoCon in home runs with five through the first seven games of the season.
• Tyler McManus also homered in the series against the Gators.

 
NEWS & NOTES

• Samford head coach Casey Dunn, already the winningest coach in Samford history, enters the weekend with 501 career wins, making him 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-plus seasons at Samford.
• Entering this week, Samford junior pitcher Samuel Strickland ranks third in school history in wins. Strickland currently has 19 wins. The current record holder is Josh Martin with 24 career victories.

 
FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS:
For the latest news and information on Samford baseball, visit the official website for Samford Athletics at SamfordSports.com. Fans can also follow the Bulldogs on social media at /SamfordBaseball (Facebook), @SamfordBaseball (Instagram) and @SamfordBaseball (Twitter).