BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University softball team hosts Southeastern Louisiana in a three-game Southland Conference series at the LU Softball Complex this weekend. The teams will play a single game at 5 p.m. Friday and a doubleheader at 2 p.m. Saturday.
 
LU (21-14 overall, 8-4 Southland) enters the weekend in third place in the conference, three games behind SLC-leading McNeese State and 1½ games behind second-place Nicholls. Southeastern Louisiana (19-17, 5-7) is tied for eighth place, six games behind McNeese State.
 
The Cardinals have been dominant at home this season, posting a 9-1 record at the LU Softball Complex. LU is 21-6 all-time at the venue since it opened last season.
 
"We always look forward to playing at home," LU coach Holly Bruder said. "Our fans give us tremendous support, and that's something we feed off of."
 
LU enters the weekend leading the conference in hitting (.318) and on-base percentage (.423). LU is second in the SLC in runs per game, averaging 5.8 per game. LU is 15^th in the nation in on-base percentage.
 
Sophomore right fielder Brittany Rodriguez is third in the conference in batting with a .411 average. Rodriguez is hitting .442 in conference action and .485 at home this spring.
 
Freshman second baseman Kelly Meeuwsen is tied for second in the conference with 33 RBIs. Meeuwsen is two shy of the single-season LU mark of 35 RBIs set last year by Shannon Sain. Meeuwsen leads the conference with 14 doubles, which ties the LU mark set by Candyce Carter in 2013. Meeuwsen ranks 11^th in the nation with an average of 0.41 doubles per game.
 
Meeuwsen, who is hitting .336, is one of six Cardinals hitting better than .300 this season. In addition to Rodriguez and Meeuwsen, other Cardinals hitting better than .300 are Sable Hankins (.351), Jenna Holland (.337), Brynn Baca (.333) and Ashley McDowell (.330).
 
"We have a number of players who have stepped up and contributed this season," Bruder said. "It hasn't been just one or two players."
 
The LU batters will face a Southeastern Louisiana pitching staff that has a combined 4.03 ERA. Senior right-hander Taylor Bishop (11-9, 3.21) has seen the bulk of the work, throwing 126 2/3 innings with 25 appearances including 14 starts and eight complete games. Freshman right-hander Caitlyn VanHemelryck (3-2, 2.47) has made 10 appearances and seven starts, while freshman righty Peyton Pigniolo (3-2, 4.78) has made 12 appearances and eight starts.
 
LU will likely start junior righty Ciara Luna (10-4, 2.57) and sophomore right-hander Laura Napoli (6-6, 3.07). They will face a Southeastern Louisiana squad that is hitting .287 overall, but .242 in conference play.
 
Kinsey Nichols leads the Lady Lions with a .434 batting average. Katie Lacour is hitting .408. Amber Sather is hitting .370 with team-leading totals of four home runs and 32 RBIs.
 
The Lady Lions lead the conference with 102 stolen bases in 120 attempts. Nichols (23), Lacour (33) and Jaquelyn Ramon (20) lead Southeastern Louisiana in stolen bases. They will be facing an LU squad that has allowed just 22 stolen bases in 29 attempts this spring.
 
Friday's game will feature a $40 Friday Family Four Pack, which includes four general-admission tickets, four hot dogs, four drinks and four boxes of popcorn for $40. The Cardinal Jazz Singers will perform the national anthem.
 
Saturday is Military Appreciation Day, with all active and retired military personnel receiving free admission with a valid ID. It's also Youth Day, with all youth players receiving free admission when they wear their uniform to the game. Youngsters will have a chance to run the bases after the game. All Junior Cardinal Club members receive free admission to all LU home games when they show their membership badge.
 
For ticket information, call 409-880-1715, or CLICK HERE.