The Samford Bulldogs are in first place in the Ohio Valley Conference, three games ahead of Eastern.

Panthers head coach Jim Schmitz knows why.

“They win the game both ways,” he said. “They either get a really well-pitched game or they score a lot of runs.”

While Samford can score runs when it has to, their strength has been their starting pitching.

Josh Ehmke and Scott Lassiter are both in the top five in the OVC in starting earned run average.

Ehmke is fifth in the conference with a 2.56 ERA and Lassiter is third at 2.08.

“They’ve been going deep in games all year,” Samford head coach Casey Dunn said. “I feel really good about where we’re at.”

Eastern has also had strong starting pitching and they are anticipating a low-scoring weekend.

“It’s set up for a pitcher’s duel,” starting pitcher Brandon Murphy said.

Murphy, who is 10th in the conference in ERA, will start the first game of the series against Ehmke.

The conference’s fourth-ranked starting pitcher, Drew Gierich, will also pitch in the series.

Of those four pitchers, not one pitched in last season’s series between the teams.

“There are some unknowns,” Dunn said. “Statistically, (Eastern’s pitching) is very impressive. They’re guys we’re not familiar with.”

Eastern will have to rely on continued production from the top of the order with center fielder Brett Nommenson and left fielder Mark Chagnon.

“I can’t ask for anything better,” said Schmitz of the duo who are both hitting over .330 this season. “They know their role and they’ve taken a liking to that.”

Although the top of the order has been doing its job, the middle of the order has been struggling.

This could lead to pitchers taking fewer chances with the top of the order, Schmitz said.

“If we’re not swinging the bat in the middle of the order, they’re going to have to pitch around the other guys,” he said. “We gotta break out of it and what a better weekend to break out of it than down in Alabama.”

With the series expected to be low-scoring, the Panthers style of small-ball that relies on hit-and-runs and sacrifice bunts could be an advantage.

It is a style that evolved as the season has progressed.

“We’re not hitting the ball for power,” shortstop Adam Varrassi said. “That’s our team this year.”

While it could be seen as a negative, Murphy takes a positive out of the lineup’s struggles.

“Other guys have picked people up all year,” he said. “That is the great thing. We’re 19-15 and haven’t put it all together yet.”

Junior third baseman Ryan Campbell makes a play in Eastern’s game against Southern Illiniois Wednesday afternoon at Coaches stadium. John Baily/The Daily Eastern News

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