BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford University softball team will play five games in three days at the Ole Miss Classic in Oxford, Mississippi this weekend, March 4-6, taking on Saint Louis, Western Kentucky, and host school Ole Miss.
 
The Bulldogs will open their weekend on Friday, Mar. 4 with a 10:30 a.m. matchup against familiar opponent Saint Louis before taking the field at 1 p.m. against Western Kentucky. Saturday's competition will follow the same schedule with Samford then closing out the tournament on Sunday, Mar. 6 at 12:30 p.m. against the Rebels of Ole Miss.
 
After dropping a pair of games to North Alabama, the Bulldogs are looking to find their way back into the win column. Samford sits at 8-6 so far on its non-conference slate, posting wins against Saint Louis, Southern Miss, Kennesaw State, and Indiana State. The Bulldogs hold a team batting average of .279 with 109 hits in 391 at-bats, while locking in 58 runs,15 doubles, two triples, and seven home runs on the season.
 
Fans can follow along via live stats for all five games with Samford's final contest against Ole Miss being available to watch on ESPN+. Coverage links for stats and broadcast can be found on the Samford softball schedule page, https://samfordsports.com/sports/softball/schedule.
 
SERIES HISTORY:

• Samford and Saint Louis competed earlier this season at the Black and Gold Invite where the two teams split a pair of games. The Billikens took game one by a final score of 8-1 prior to a 9-0 (5 inning) Bulldog victory in game two. Samford continues to hold a series advantage over Saint Louis with an overall record of 6-4-0.
• The Bulldogs and Hilltoppers have met 16 times with Western Kentucky holding a 10-6 advantage in the series. The two teams last met in 2019 where Samford dropped an 8-1 final decision to the Hilltoppers in Birmingham.
• Samford competed at the Ole Miss Tournament last season, falling to the Rebels in back-to-back games, 3-0 and 8-0, in Oxford. The Bulldogs last win over Ole Miss came back in 2001 where they captured a 4-1 victory over the Rebels. Ole Miss currently holds a 13-3 series advantage.

 
BULLDOGS TO WATCH:

• Senior Timberlyn Shurbutt continues to be an offensive standout for the Bulldogs, starting in all 14 contests this season. At the plate, Shurbutt has registered 14 hits in 48 at-bats while logging 10 runs, three doubles, three home runs, and a team-high 13 RBIs.
• Mary Katherine Tedder smacked two home runs this past Tuesday against North Alabama for a total of three on the season. The Texas transfer holds a .300 batting average after knocking 12 hits in 40 at-bats. Tedder also leads the Bulldogs with four doubles and 10 walks while driving in 10 runs for Samford.   
• Fellow senior Kolby Holcombe recorded a team-high five hits, going 5-for-6 at the plate in Samford's doubleheader against the Lions of North Alabama. The Holly Pond, Ala., native also drove in one run this past Tuesday for five RBIs on the season. Holcombe ranks third on the team in batting average with 13 hits in 36 at-bats after starting in all 14 games for the Bulldogs this season.

 
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).