March 13, 2003

Samford heads to Belmont Friday and Saturday for an Atlantic Sun Conferene Baseball Series. Friday's first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Greer Stadium while Saturday's doubleheader will begin at 1 p.m. Fans can follow game action via gametracker at samfordsports.com.

The Bulldogs (5-12, 2-4 A-Sun) split with Middle Tennessee State earlier in the week. The Blue Raiders won the first game of the midweek series Tuesday. Justin Klinger and Sae Evans each recorded three hits and Samford scattered a season-high 16 hits off five Middle Tennessee pitchers as the Bulldogs knocked off the Blue Raiders, 14-6, Wednesday afternoon. Karl Huch (1-0) picked up his first career win allowing two runs through five innings. Joe Denson and Chandler Tidwell each recorded two strikeouts in relief. Klinger finished the game 3-for-5 with three runs scored and four RBI while Sae Evans went 3-for-6 with two RBI and two runs scored. Jeff Dils was 2-for-5 with one run scored and three RBI. The Bulldogs enter the conference series one game out of sixth place.

Belmont (7-3, 4-2 A-Sun) enters the Atlantic Sun Conference Weekend after two consecutive wins. The Bruins knocked off Western Kentucky Wednesday, 4-1. Will Tucker picked up his A-Sun leading fifth save against the Hilltoppers. Dan Soukup led the Bruins against Western Kentucky going 3-for-4 with one run scored. Last weekend, the Bruins dropped two of three games to Jacksonville State. Belmont rallied to score three runs in the top of the seventh with two outs to get the win in the rubber game of the series. The Bruins are currently tied for second place in the A-Sun with Florida Atlantic at 4-2. Dennis Gomez leads the team hitting .367 with eight RBI and six doubles. As a team, the Bruins hit .292 with a team ERA of 4.44.

Senior right-hander Frank Allen Yeilding (1-3, 4.87 ERA) will start Friday's game while Belmont will counter with sophomore left-hander Cody Blackard (1-1, 3.63 ERA). Ehren Wassermann (1-3, 7.66 ERA) and Stephen Artz (0-1, 3.95 ERA) wrap up the rest of Samford's weekend rotation. Shane Haas (2-1, 2.08 ERA) and Alex Renes (1-0, 4.85 ERA) are Belmont's other starters for the weekend.

Last time against Belmont, Alan Bryan pitched three shut-out innings in relief to pick up his first career save as Samford defeated Belmont, 7-5 at Joe Lee Griffin Field. The Bulldogs (27-29, 13-17 A-Sun) clinched the final spot in the 2002 Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament with the win. It was head coach Tim Parenton's 100th career victory. Bryan allowed one hit in the three innings while striking out two in relief of Robert Evans, who picked up the win. Evans allowed four earned runs on seven hits in six innings while striking out five. Cory Sumner and Robert Evans each went 3-for-5 to lead Samford. The Bulldogs out-hit the Bruins 11-8, but Belmont committed five errors in the contest. Sumner scored on an error in the bottom of the ninth to give Samford a 4-3 win in extra innings in the second game of the doubleheader as the Bulldogs completed the sweep of the Bruins. Samford won game one, 7-2.

Samford is 4-2 all-time against Belmont under Parenton. The Bulldogs swept last season's series, 7-2, 4-3 and 7-5 to advance to the A-Sun tournament for the first time under Parenton.

The Bulldogs return home next week for four games. Samford hosts No. 24 Alabama Wednesday at 6 p.m. The Bulldogs will host defending A-Sun Champions UCF next weekend for a three-game conference series.