Softball 2.8.24

Samford Softball Opens 2024 Campaign At Trojan Classic

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Led by the reigning Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year and a hungry group of returners, the Samford softball team opens the 2024 season at the Troy-hosted Trojan Classic.

The three-day Opening Weekend tournament gets underway on Friday as the Bulldogs take on UT Martin at 9 a.m. in the season opener before concluding Opening Day with a contest with in-state foe North Alabama at noon.

A rematch with the Lions of North Alabama opens Saturday at noon before the Bulldogs face off with host Troy at 6 p.m. in the nightcap. Troy and Samford will conclude the weekend with a 2 p.m. first pitch on Sunday.

Both Troy games will be broadcast on ESPN+ and Samford's game notes can be found here.

Junior McKenzie Newcomb is poised to lead the Bulldogs from the circle once again after being named SoCon Pitcher of the Year in 2022. During her sophomore season, Newcomb led the league in ERA, innings pitched, strikeouts, and wins, and ranked fourth nationally with an 8.60 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Samford will be paced offensively by the preseason offensive trio of Sarah Squillace, Logan Champion and McKayla Cothran with Grier Bruce looking to build on a stellar sophomore campaign in 2022.

Squillace made 51 starts for the Bulldogs in 2023 and paced Samford with a .342 batting average and 15 multi-hit games. The infielder also recorded a pair of triples, which ranked second in the SoCon.

In 57 games behind the plate, Champion exploded on the scene by batting .314 with 10 home runs and 28 RBIs. Defensively, Champion threw out 20 runners which ranked third in the country.

During her sophomore campaign, Cothran led Samford on the basepaths with 10 stolen bases while batting .294 with 42 hits and seven RBIs.

En route to a second-team All-SoCon selection, Bruce batted .308 with a team-high 14 home runs and 42 RBIs. Bruce's 14 homers and 42 RBIs were the second most by a Bulldog in a single season in program history.

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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).

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Players Mentioned

#4 Grier Bruce: INF; 5' 8"; Freshman; R/R

#25 Logan Champion: C; 5' 4"; Freshman; R/R

#33 McKayla Cothran: OF; 5' 6"; Freshman; L/R

#24 McKenzie Newcomb: P; 5' 5"; Freshman; R/R

#2 Sarah Squillace: UTL; 5' 0"; Freshman; L/R

Players Mentioned

#4 Grier Bruce
: 5' 8"; Freshman; R/R
: INF

#25 Logan Champion
: 5' 4"; Freshman; R/R
: C

#33 McKayla Cothran
: 5' 6"; Freshman; L/R
: OF

#24 McKenzie Newcomb
: 5' 5"; Freshman; R/R
: P

#2 Sarah Squillace
: 5' 0"; Freshman; L/R
: UTL

Samford University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Players Mentioned