GAME NOTES -- SAMFORD at JACKSONVILLE STATE (PDF)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford softball returns to play tomorrow as they hit the road to face Jacksonville State. The game, which was originally scheduled for Feb. 12, was moved due to inclement weather. The Bulldogs enter the game with a 16-9 record while the Gamecocks sit at 18-7 on the year.

The Bulldogs are coming off a 3-2 weekend at the North Alabama Tournament. They earned a win over Detroit and split two-game sets with hosts UNA and Louisiana Monroe during the five-game tournament. Olivia Shaw, Sarah Squillace, and Linsey Hargis all had strong weekends to boost their season numbers at the plate. 

Samford and Jacksonville State are meeting for the 72nd time with the Gamecocks leading the series 45-26. The two sides met three times last season, with the Bulldogs taking the most recent game 2-1. Samford is 6-2 against teams in the state of Alabama so far this season. The Bulldogs sit 58th in the NCAA RPI ranking, the highest of any team in the Southern Conference.

Shaw continues to swing a hot bat as she leads the team with a .373 average, 28 hits, 21 runs, 24 RBIs, and a 1.049 OPS. Logan Champion has provided pop at the bottom of the order as she is tied for the lead in the SoCon with seven home runs and is 27th in the country. The Bulldogs were without usual leadoff hitter McKayla Cothran over the weekend but Joi Hubbard filled in her role nicely as she has raised her average to .360 and is a perfect 13-for-13 in stolen bases on the season.

JSU is 18-7 on the year under first-year coach Julie Boland. They are coming off a three-game sweep over UTEP in their Conference USA opener and earned a win earlier in the season over a ranked Mississippi State squad.

The game can be seen on ESPN+ here and live stats can be followed here.

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