BEAUMONT – The Lamar University baseball team looks to keep its momentum rolling over the weekend when it hosts undefeated North Dakota State in a four-game series slated to start on Friday at 6 p.m. at Vincent-Beck Stadium in non-conference action.
The Cardinals (5-0) have downed two nationally-ranked opponents in the first five games of the season. Monday saw a 13-5 win over No. 23 Arizona and Wednesday had a 12-11 incredible comeback victory over the fifth-ranked LSU Tigers.
NDSU comes in with a 3-0 record for the first time since 2002 after a three-game sweep at Arkansas-Pine Bluff. LU hasn't been perfect through five games since 2010, also the last time it appeared in the NCAA Regionals. The Cardinals enter the series with a 6-1 head-to-head lead all time with the Bison, all were in Beaumont. The last time the squads met (2010), LU was 5-0 before NDSU broke up the streak with its lone win over Lamar, 10-9.
The Cardinals are expected to stick with their first weekend's rotation with
Billy Love added in due to the fourth game.
Will Hibbs (1-0, 1.50 earned run average) will face left-hander Zach Mayo (0-0, 0.00). Hibbs made the opening day start with 6.0 frames of work. Mayo worked 1.2 innings in his last outing with three hits allowed.
Jayson McKinley (0-0, 0.00) will go in the first game Saturday against Alex Rogers (1-0, 18.00), both right handers. McKinley pitched six innings against Southeast Missouri State, but was forced to take the no-decision. Rogers gave up four runs in two innings in his first outing.
Fernando Martinez (0-0, 3.60) will face off against Reed Pafannenstien (0-0, 9.00). Martinez started the third game of the SEMO series, and took the game to the fifth inning before he was pulled with a no decision. He allowed two run on five hits. Pfannenstein worked three frames with three runs and three hits allowed.
Though NDSU hasn't decided who to go with on Sunday, the Cardinals will trot out Love, who had a tremendous relief outing in the third game of the year to relieve Martinez. The senior worked four innings with no runs allowed on one hit.
Through the early portion of the year, cleanup hitter
Cutter McDowell leads the Cardinals in hitting at .421. He is tied with catcher
Bryndan Arredondo for the lead in runs scored at six, while
Jacoby Middleton tops the team in runs driven in at seven. Arredondo is hitting .357 and
Jacoby Middleton .333.
Juan Gamez is the Bison leading hitter at .444 with four hits in nine at-bats. He has three RBI and three run scored. Brayden Resch (.300) is the team's leader in the two latter stats with four apiece.
Like every Friday this season, families can partake in the Friday Family Four Pack which consists of four tickets, four hot dogs, four drinks and four popcorns. Saturday will be $1 Hot Dog Day present by Chartwells and Sunday will be Youth Sunday where kids will be able to race around the bases after the game.
Due to the Gusher Marathon held on Saturday, patrons planning to attend the game are advised to travel south on US 69 (Cardinal Drive) to the Highland Avenue Exit. Take this exit and remain on the service road until the intersection with Rolfe Christopher. Drive under the overpass north on Rolfe Christopher. Turn left (west) into the Soccer/Softball Complex parking lot, which is adjacent to the Vincent-Beck Stadium parking lot.
After NDSU, the Cardinals will turn their focus to Prairie View A&M on March 1 before Texas-Rio Grande Valley on March 4-6. For tickets or information, contact the Lamar Ticket office at 409-880-1715 or CLICK HERE.
Lamar at the top in the RPI• Although it is very early still, according to WarrenNolan.com, the Lamar University baseball team has a fourth-rated RPI in the nation and second-ranked strength of schedule thus far.
Down goes a couple of ranked opponents• The last time that LU defeated a ranked opponent, which it did Monday and Wednesday, was 2014 when it defeated No. 16 Rice 10-1. That season, the Cardinals beat #21 Houston 4-2 less than a month earlier.
• Big Red faced three ranked opponent last year, including LSU.
• The last time that Lamar downed two ranked teams in three days or less was actually one ranked team. It defeated No. 25 Baylor twice in 2012 in back-to-back days.
Two-out magic• Eleven of LU's 13 runs scored against the Wildcats came with two outs and 10 of the 12 against LSU were as well.
• Of the 34 runs that the Cardinals have this season, 25 are with two outs.
Unusual long ball • Lamar has seven home runs so far through the first four games this year. Last year the Cardinals didn't notch their seventh dinger until the 22nd game of the year.
• In the last seven years, the Cardinals have had four home runs in a game four times, the last being at New Orleans last season. It smacked four against Arizona on Monday.
K-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k-k• So far this season, the Cardinals are averaging 10.2 strikeouts per game, the season high being in the season opener at 13.
• At that pace, LU is on pace to shatter its own single-season record of 561- set in 2006.
