Tigers Hit the Road vs. #2 Ole Miss and Samford

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – For the first time this season, the Memphis Tigers (6-4) will play away from FedExPark Avron Fogelman Field, as they're set for a midweek rivalry matchup with the #2 Ole Miss Rebels (10-1) and a three-game weekend set at the Samford Bulldogs (7-4). Audio streams for all four games will be available through GoTigersGo.com.

Series Information
Memphis (6-4, 0-0) at #2 Ole Miss (10-1, 0-0)
Tuesday, March 8 – 6:30 p.m.
            RH Landon Gartman (1-0, 2.70) vs. RH Jack Washburn (1-0, 1.00)

Location: Oxford, Miss.
Venue: Swayze Field
Twitter Updates: @MemphisBaseball
Stats | Listen

Memphis and Ole Miss have met 39 times since 2000 with Ole Miss leading the series 29-10. The Rebels have won six straight meetings with the Tigers, as Memphis hasn't beaten Ole Miss since March 21, 2017, an 11^th inning walk-off win in Memphis. The Tigers also beat Ole Miss on the road earlier during that 2017 season. The teams met once last year, a 16-4 Ole Miss win in Oxford. The two programs will meet in Memphis later this month, as the Tigers will host Ole Miss at AutoZone Park March 22.

The #2 team in the nation, Ole Miss started the season 9-0 before a loss in the middle game of a three-game set on the road to UCF. The Rebels swept Charleston Southern, VCU, and Louisiana Monroe before winning the series on the road against the Knights. SS Jacob Gonzalez, a preseason Second Team All-American, has hit just .257 through the team's first 11 games, but has six extra base hits and an OBP of .480. C Calvin Harris leads the team with a .542 batting average and 1.329 OPS, while OF Tim Elko leads the teams with five home runs. Projected Tuesday starter Jack Washburn allowed one unearned run on one hit over five innings in a victory over Louisiana Monroe last Wednesday.

Series Information
Memphis vs. Samford
Friday, March 11 – 4 p.m.
            RH Connor Shamblin (2-0, 2.12) vs. RH Jacob Cravey (0-2, 5.25)
Saturday, March 12 – 2 p.m.
            LH Dalton Fowler (0-1, 6.75) vs. LH Blake Bortak (0-2, 6.39)
Sunday, March 13 – 1 p.m.
            TBD vs. RH Jalon Long (2-0, 1.23)

Location: Birmingham, Ala.
Venue: Joe Lee Griffin Field
Twitter Updates: @MemphisBaseball
Stats | Listen

The Tigers and Bulldogs have met just seven times since 1975, with all seven meetings taking place since 2007 and no meetings since 2015. The Bulldogs hold a 4-3 lead in the all-time series, though Memphis has won three of the past five matchups, which includes a series win in Birmingham in 2014. Samford opened the season with a home sweep of Arkansas State and picked up a Sunday victory in a series loss to #10 Florida State. Samford will travel to UAB Tuesday before hosting the Tigers.

Samford has been led offensively by INF/OF Towns King, who has hit .381 with a 1.212 OPS through 11 games. King leads the team with four home runs and 13 RBIs. Just two other starters are hitting over .300, as the Bulldogs have hit just .242 as a team so far this season. Likely Friday night starter Jacob Cravey hasn't pitched more than 4.1 innings in a start this season, though he'll enter the weekend off of his best start, where he allowed just one earned run over 4.1 innings. Potential Sunday starter, Jalon Long, has been the best pitcher for the Bulldogs this season. He didn't allow a run over five innings of three-hit pitching against Arkansas State and has allowed just one run in each of his last two outings. The Samford pitching staff has an ERA of 5.16 with an OBA of .267.

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Players Mentioned

Dalton Fowler

Landon Gartman

Connor Shamblin

University of Memphis Athletics