Baseball season is finally here, and Samford has started strong against stiff competition. The season opened with a three-game series at Memphis. The first two games were hard-fought, but the Tigers won 7-4 and 11-6, respectively.
Manager Tony David explained, “For the most part, the mistakes we made were the types of mistakes you see early in seasons, and that it’s just a matter of working out the kinks.”
The team worked out the kinks in the last game of the series, as they went on to win in the 11th inning.
Freshman outfielder John Whitney said, “The win in extra innings this past weekend was huge for the team, and it shows what we need to do to be successful.”
The Bulldogs won an absolute thriller against Jacksonville State in their next game. Stephen Klein and John Anderson had three hits, and Klein was a triple shy of the cycle. However, Klein’s home run in the bottom of the eighth inning broke a tied game and put the Bulldogs ahead for good. A key stat for Samford was their batting with runners in scoring position. The Bulldogs batted .308 with RISP, proving their clutch playmaking ability.
A critical problem for the Bulldogs appears to be their pitching staff. The Bulldogs have a team ERA of 6.75. While the Bulldogs have only played four games, a high ERA is always hard to overcome, regardless of the talent on the offensive side of the ball.
Overall, though, Samford baseball has a lot to be excited for, as their team has a potent offense and plenty of moxie. The Bulldogs will next travel to Hammond, La., to face Southeastern Louisiana in a three-game series.
