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Softball Opens at Bama Bash
Feb. 7, 2002 BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Complete Release in PDF Format
The Samford softball team will head to Tuscaloosa on Friday to open the 2002 season at the Bama Bash hosted by the University of Alabama. Joining Samford in the three-day tournament will be Evansville, Maryland, and Alabama. Samford will open up at 1:30 p.m. on Friday against Evansville before playing Alabama at 6:30 p.m. The Bulldogs enter the 2002 season off a 26-37 2001 season. Samford finished 2001 with a five-game regular season winning streak. The Bulldogs ran that streak to seven straight wins in the TAAC tournament before dropping the last two games of the tournament. Samford is picked to finish 7th in the Atlantic Sun Preseason poll by the conference head coaches. The Bulldogs return nine letter-winners and six starters off last years team including All-TAAC second team catcher Angela Bednark, and TAAC All-freshmen team members Erin Landsburg and Abi Casillo. Alabama enters the tournament ranked #13 in the nation. The Crimson Tide were 50-11 last season but are 0-3 this season after being swept by defending national champion and #1 ranked Arizona in Tucson last weekend. Alabama has won five-straight games and eight of their last 10 in the Bama Bash. Evansville went 39-17 in 2001. The Purple Aces will be led by 2001 MVC Rookie of the Year Jamie Davison and All-MVC performers Haven Shank and Bridget Broerman. Maryland went 39-23 last season behind Mid-Atlantic All-Region First Team pitcher Amanda Bettker. The Terps return seven starters for 2002. The Bama Bash is the season opener for both Maryland and Evansville The Bulldogs are 2-7 all-time against Alabama, 0-2 against Evansville, and the Bulldogs have never faced Maryland. The Purple Aces and Bulldogs meet twice last year in the Ole Miss Tournament with Evansville winning 6-1 and 5-3. Alabama beat Samford 11-3 in last year's Bama Bash. Samford went 1-4 in last year's Bash.
Samford will open up the home portion of its schedule with the Samford Invitational Feb. 15-17. Alabama State and Wagner will be in Birmingham. The Bulldogs will face each team three times in the three-day event.
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