BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – After being off in the midweek, the Samford softball team hits the road for the second of three consecutive away weekends as the Bulldogs head to Jacksonville for the JSU Gamecock Invite hosted by Jacksonville State.
 
The three-day tournament starts on Friday at 2:30 p.m. CT as Samford meets Western Michigan for the lone Bulldog game of the day. 
 
Western Michigan and Samford will face off again on Saturday at 12 p.m. CT before the Bulldogs take on Jacksonville State at 2:30 p.m. CT in the nightcap.
 
To close out the weekend, The Bulldogs and the Gamecocks will square off one more time at 2:30 p.m. CT on Sunday. 
 
Both games against Jacksonville State can be streamed on ESPN+, while Samford's game notes can be found here. 
 
The Bulldogs bring a 6-14 record on the year to the JSU Gamecock invite after concluding the Georgia Bulldog Classic with a 1-4 weekend. 
 
Samford and Jacksonville State have met 69 previous times with the Gamecocks holding a 44-25 advantage in the series despite the Bulldogs taking four of the last six meetings dating back to 2021. 
 
The Bulldogs and Broncos have met one previous time when Samford beat Western Michigan 7-2 in 2006. 
 
During the 2022 season, the Bulldogs went 2-5 against in-state foes including a 1-2 mark against Jacksonville State. Entering the weekend, Samford is 0-3 against Alabama teams this season. 
 
Despite a 2-5 record on the season, McKenzie Newcomb has been one of the best pitchers in the country over the first month of the season. The sophomore has tallied 78 strikeouts against just seven walks in 64.2 innings of work. Newcomb's 78 strikeouts rank her 19th in the country with a Top 100 ERA of 1.52.
 
To go along with Newcomb in the circle, Logan Champion has been the best Bulldog position player in the early going of the season. 
 
The Bulldog catcher ranks either first or second in nearly every offensive category including batting average (.328), hits (19), doubles (7), triples (1), total bases (37) and slugging percentage (.638) for Samford. To go along with her bat, Champion ranks first nationally having thrown out 11 base runners this season. Her seven doubles are also 25th nationally. 
 
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