SAMFORD AT VMI GAME NOTES

LEXINGTON, Va. – The Samford baseball team will travel to Lexington, Va., for a three-game Southern Conference series at VMI this weekend. The teams are scheduled to play a doubleheader Friday at 1 p.m. (CT), and a single game Saturday at 12 p.m. (CT).
 
Samford enters the weekend with a record of 24-19 overall and 14-7 in SoCon play after dropping two-of-three games at Wofford last weekend. VMI is currently 13-24 overall and 9-12 in league games. The Keydets are coming off sweeping a three-game series at The Citadel last weekend.

THE RUN DOWN
Opponent: at VMI (13-24, 9-12 SoCon)
Dates: May 7-8, 2021
Site: Lexington, Va.
Time: 1 p.m. CT--DH (Friday), 12 p.m. CT (Saturday)
For TV/Live Stats: Click Here

SERIES HISTORY

• Samford and VMI have met 25 previous times, with Samford holding a 19-6 advantage in the series.
• The teams met in a three-game series earlier this season at Joe Lee Griffin Field. Samford swept the series, winning the games by scores of 11-4, 7-6 (10 inn.) and 7-6.

 
FOCAL POINT

• The Bulldogs look to bounce back after dropping two-of-three at Wofford last weekend.

 
BULLDOGS TO WATCH

• Over the last couple of weeks, second baseman Brooks Carlson has been hot at the plate. Over the last seven games, the junior is batting .379 with a team-high 11 hits. He has two doubles and one home run, while scoring four runs and driving in three runs in the stretch. His current seven-game hit streak is the longest current streak on the team.
• Samford's probable rotation for this weekend will be left-handed pitcher Samuel Strickland, right-handed pitcher Jesse McCord and right-hander Zach Hester. Strickland has a 3-2 record with a 5.17 ERA. McCord has posted a 3-5 record and a 6.71 ERA. Hester has a 1-3 record and a 5.35 ERA.
• Entering this week, Samford junior pitcher Samuel Strickland ranks third in school history in wins. Strickland currently has 21 wins. The current record holder is Josh Martin with 24 career victories.

 
NEWS & NOTES

• Samford is 8-14 in road games so far this season, but the Bulldogs have a mark of 5-4 in Southern Conference road games.
• Samford head coach Casey Dunn, already the winningest coach in Samford history, enters the weekend with 522 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.
• Samford and VMI met in a three-game series at Joe Lee Griffin Field earlier this season, with Samford sweeping the series by score of 11-4, 7-6 (10 inn.) and 7-6. For the series, Tyler McManus hit .714 with three doubles, a home run and six RBI. He had an impressive 1.571 slugging percentage for the series. Gene Hurst, Chase Isbell and Hamp Skinner earned the three wins on the mound for Samford.

 
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).