BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University Cardinals look to go 7-0 to open Southland Conference play for the second time in program history when they face the host Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks at 1 p.m. Friday in the first game of a conference doubleheader. The teams are slated to play a single game at 1 p.m. Saturday.
 
The Cardinals (13-14 overall, 6-0 Southland) opened with nine straight conference wins in 2015 before suffering their first SLC loss.
 
LU enters the weekend tied for first place with defending champion McNeese. The Cardinals and Cowgirls are one game ahead of Nicholls and Abilene Christian in the standings. Stephen F. Austin (9-18, 1-2) has won one of its last six games. Last weekend, SFA played three close games with Nicholls, dropping two of those contests. The Ladyjacks have played just three conference games as their conference-opening series at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi was completely washed out.
 
"SFA's record is a little deceptive because they have played some good teams," LU coach Holly Bruder said. "They play small ball. They're going to put the ball on the floor. They want you to make mistakes."
 
The Ladyjacks, who have a .235 team batting average, are led offensively by Brittany Lewis, who is hitting .370 with three home runs and eight RBIs. Amber Landry bats .329 with team-leading totals of four home runs and 13 RBIs. Kiriany Hornberger is the only other Ladyjack hitting better than .300, as she is hitting .321 with no home runs and five RBIs.
 
Callee Guffey (4-5, 1.73) leads the SFA pitching staff. Guffey, who also has one save, has thrown a complete game in each of her eight starts. The junior has appeared in 16 games, allowing 59 hits in 72 2/3 innings with 18 walks and 46 strikeouts.
 
LU catcher Brynn Baca enters the weekend having reached base safely in 19 straight games, the ninth-longest streak in program history. Baca is second on the Cardinals with a .363 batting average, while leading LU with 18 RBIs. Center fielder Brittany Rodriguez leads LU with a .437 batting average. Ashley McDowell (.307/1 HR/10 RBIs) and Kelly Meeuwsen (.304/1/16) are also hitting better than .300 for LU. Right fielder Corina Thornton (.382/0/9) doesn't have enough overall plate appearances to qualify for the overall batting race, but her .588 batting average in conference play is second in the SLC.
 
Anissa Rodriguez (3-0, 2.89) leads the Cardinals in ERA. Rodriguez picked up her first conference win last week, in a relief appearance in LU's 12-6 victory over HBU. Ciara Luna (3-8, 3.53) and Laura Napoli (6-6, 3.98) are both expected to get starts this weekend.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES: Dating back to 1984, SFA leads the all-time series 13-8. The teams have not met in the regular season since 2014. Last season, LU claimed a 5-3 win over the Ladyjacks in the semifinals of the Southland Conference Tournament at McNeese.
 
WEATHER FORECAST: Friday's forecast calls for a 45 percent chance of rain at 1 p.m., as compared to 60 percent at 3 p.m. The temperature at first pitch will be 74 degrees.  Saturday calls for sunny skies with only a 10 percent chance of rain and a high of 76 degrees. If the teams need to play on Sunday, the forecast calls for party cloudy skies, a high of 85 degrees and a 10 percent chance of rain.
 
UP NEXT: The Cardinals return home to host Alcorn State in a non-conference doubleheader at noon Wednesday.
 
TICKETS: For tickets for all LU home games, call 409-880-1715, or CLICK HERE. Tickets are also available at the LU ticket office, located in the Montagne Center, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Tickets will be available at the ticket window at the LU Softball Complex starting one hour prior to first pitch.