The return of Samford baseball has brought plenty of excitement to Samford fans, as the team is projected to win the SoCon Tournament and looks to break through in the College World Series. After seven games, the Bulldogs record sits at 4-3, with four straight wins to start the season and a three-game sweep at the hands of UCF.
The Bulldogs opened their season with a three-game victory over Queens. Each game was a blowout; in the series, the Bulldogs outscored the Royals 40-9. Some key players from the series included freshman designated hitter Angelo Prieto, who went 4-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs. In the final game of the series, Prieto went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs.
Through seven games, Prieto is batting .350 with two homers and seven RBIs, as the freshman from Miami is making an impact at Samford.
On the mound against Queens, Michael Ross was dominant in his first game back from a season-ending injury a year ago. Ross pitched six innings of one-run ball, striking out nine. Head Coach Tony David is proud of the progress that Ross has made since his injury.
“There’s nothing in this program that we have higher confidence than when Michael Ross is on the mound,” David said. “This was a big day for him after missing last year and being so good for us two years ago. He’s worked harder than any human on earth to get back and to get where he is. We are excited about the win, and I’m excited he did well, but on a personal level I’m ecstatic for him because he has worked to get what he did today.”
Samford’s next matchup against in-state rival Jacksonville State proved to be closer than the Queens series, but still ended in a 7-3 Samford victory. Garrett Howe went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and an RBI. The game was tied in the bottom of the sixth inning, but the Bulldogs pulled away after an RBI groundout from Garrett Staton and a costly error from Jacksonville State that scored a run.
Finally, the Bulldogs couldn’t keep up with the high-paced UCF offense, as the Knights swept Samford in a three-game series. The series was the opposite of the Bulldogs’ opening against Queens: UCF outscored Samford 39-11.
“This was a tough weekend for us, obviously,” David said. “We played two really good, clean games defensively the last couple of days. The best we have played on the young season.”
As the schedule gets rougher, Samford will look to continue to build on both sides of the mound, with a Feb. 27 matchup at Auburn next.
Sports Editor
