BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – For the first midweek game of the 2023 campaign, the Samford softball team hits the road on Wednesday for a contest with the No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide.
 
The first pitch is slated for 6 p.m. CT and the game can be streamed on SEC Network+. Samford's game notes can be found here. 
 
The Bulldogs enter the matchup with a 2-6 record over the open two weeks of the 2023 season. Four of the six Samford defeats in the young season have come by one run.
 
 Alabama brings a 6-2 record into the midweek after going 4-1 at the 2023 TaxAct Clearwater Invitational with wins over nationally ranked Duke, UCF and Florida State.
 
Wednesday's game is the 25th all-time meeting between Samford and Alabama with the Crimson Tide holding a 22-2 lead in the series. Both Bulldog wins in the series came during the 1997 season. 
 
Samford has not beaten an SEC team since downing Mississippi State in 2007. The last Power Five foe that the Bulldogs beat on the softball diamond was Georgia Tech in 2020.
 
In the circle, McKenzie Newcomb leads a Bulldog pitching staff that ranks 59th in the country with a 2.15 team ERA. The staff also has a 4.82 Strikeout-to-walk ratio, which ranks 15th in the country. 
 
Over the opening two weekends, the infield duo of Sarah Squillace and Grier Bruce have paced the Samford offensive attack. Squllace enters Wednesday hitting a team-best .375, while Bruce has a team-high six RBIs and pair of home runs. 
 
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 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).