BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford University softball team begins the 2022 season this Friday, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, with the Black and Gold Invitational, hosted by Southern Miss, featuring games against the Golden Eagles, North Alabama, and Saint Louis.
 
The Bulldogs return to the field for a three-day tournament, Feb. 11-13, at the Southern Miss Softball Complex where they will compete in five games. Samford will face North Alabama in the season-opener Friday at 10 a.m. before facing the Billikens of Saint Louis at 1 p.m. Saturday's action will start with the Bulldogs playing Saint Louis at 10 a.m. and Southern Miss at 1 p.m. The tournament will be closed out for Samford with a single game starting at 1 p.m. against the Golden Eagle. 
 
All five contests will be available via livestream on CUSA-TV with each stream requiring a subscription. Coverage links for stats and livestreams can be found on the Samford softball schedule page, https://samfordsports.com/sports/softball/schedule. Fans can also purchase tickets for $11 per day of the tournament, visit https://bit.ly/3rAwwgg.
 
SERIES HISTORY:

• Samford and North Alabama have competed six times with the Bulldogs holding a 4-2-0 advantage in the series. The teams last met February 13th, 2019, with Samford falling to the Lions by scores of 7-3 and 5-1.
• The Bulldogs hold an overall record of 5-3-0 over the Billikens of Saint Louis. The two team last played in March of 2009, splitting a doubleheader with Samford falling in game one by a 11-8 score and winning in game two, 7-5.
• Samford and Southern Miss have competed a total of 15 times over the years. Last season, the Golden Eagles secured a 2-1 series win over the Bulldogs in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. 

 
BULLDOGS TO WATCH:

• SoCon preseason favorite, Timberlyn Shurbutt, returns for her fifth season in 2022 and looks to continue her impressive performance at the plate and third base. The Alexandria, Ala. native appeared in all 45 games for the Bulldogs last season, recording 143 at-bats, 22 runs, a team-high 13 doubles, and one triple. In the field, Shurbutt tallied 54 putouts while registering 119 assists and executing nine double plays from third.
• Texas transfer, Mary Katherine Tedder, is looking to make an immediate impact for Samford this season. The graduate student took her talents to Samford after playing three years for the Longhorns where she competed in 126 games, locking in 46 runs scored and 31 RBIs.

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