GAME NOTES--SAMFORD AT WESTERN CAROLINA (PDF)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford University baseball team will open Southern Conference play with a three-game series at Western Carolina this weekend. The teams are scheduled to play Friday at 4 p.m. (CT), Saturday at 1 p.m. (CT) and Sunday at 12 p.m. (CT). The Friday and Sunday games can be seen live on ESPN+.
 
Samford and Western Carolina have met 58 previous times, with Samford owning a 33-25 series lead. Last season, Western Carolina won two-of-three games in a series at Joe Lee Griffin Field.
 
Since joining the Southern Conference prior to the 2009 baseball season, Samford has posted a record of 237-172 in SoCon games. Last season, Samford went 13-8 in conference games. The Bulldogs won the SoCon regular season title in 2019 and 2023.
 
Samford comes into the week with a record of 8-11. The Bulldogs earned a dramatic, 7-6, come-from-behind win at Jacksonville State Tuesday evening after dropping two-of-three games to Little Rock over the weekend.
 
Samford is scheduled to start right-handed pitcher Joseph Lee (0-0, 4.57 ERA) on Friday and right-hander Mason Blasche (0-4, 7.02 ERA) on Saturday. Samford has not named a starting pitcher for Sunday yet.
 
Samford has been led at the plate so far this season by Jake Souders, hitting .420 (29-of-69) with three home runs and 11 RBI. Luke Boykin and Eddie Marshall share the team lead in home runs with five each, while Boykin leads the squad in RBI with 17. Gus Gandy is hitting .333 (21-for-63) with three doubles, two home runs and five RBI. Cade Carr has a .302 (19-of-63) average with three doubles, three home runs and 16 RBI.
 
Western Carolina enters the weekend with a mark of 15-7. The Catamounts earned an 8-4 win over Gardner-Webb Wednesday night. Over the weekend, WCU won three-of-four from Morehead State.
 
WCU has listed right-handed pitcher Carter Burnette (2-2, 4.00 ERA), left-handed pitcher Davis Wright (1-1, 7.48 ERA) and lefty Evan Myers (2-1, 3.43 ERA) as its starting pitchers for the series.
 
Western Carolina has been led at the plate so far this season by Jackson Lyda, hitting .333 (23-for-69) with four doubles, two home runs and 14 RBI. Wyatt Stanley is hitting .320 (24-for-75) with three doubles, four home runs and 18 RBI.
 
Friday's and Sunday's games can be seen live on ESPN+ and live stats will also be available for all three games. For links to follow all of Samford's games this season, click on the following link: 2026 SCHEDULE.
 
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For the latest news and information on Samford baseball, visit the official website for Samford Athletics at SamfordSports.com. Fans can also follow the Bulldogs on social media at /SamfordBaseball (Facebook), @SamfordBaseball (Instagram) and @SamfordBaseball (Twitter).