BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University Cardinals face their toughest challenge on the Southland Conference schedule this season when they travel to SLC-leading McNeese for a three-game series this weekend at Cowgirl Diamond. The teams are slated to play a doubleheader at 6 p.m. Friday and a single game at 5 p.m. Saturday.
 
The Cardinals (22-21 overall, 12-6 Southland) are in fourth place in the conference, four games behind the front-running Cowgirls (30-15, 16-2). LU faces a tough task this weekend, as the Cardinals are 0-11 at McNeese since reviving the program in 2013.
 
The Cardinals, who were one-hit twice last week while going 2-1 against Central Arkansas, will have to get the bats working against a McNeese pitching staff that has an impressive 1.39 ERA in conference games.  The McNeese staff is led by freshman right-hander Alexandra Flores (9-3, 1.53), who is 4-1 with a 0.61 ERA in Southland games.
 
"McNeese is the top team in the conference for a reason. They are a solid team," LU coach Holly Bruder said. "But do they have weaknesses? Yes. We have to find those weaknesses and take advantage of them. Our job is the same as it is every weekend, to win the series."
 
The Cowgirls are hitting .294 as a team overall, and .325 in SLC play. McNeese is led by two-time conference hitter of the year Erika Piancastelli, who is batting .377 with nine home runs and 35 RBIs. In SLC play, Piancastelli is hitting .489 with six homers and 22 RBIs.
 
"She is the best mid-major player in the country," Bruder said of Piancastelli. "She is going to get her hits. We just have to make sure those hits don't hurt us."
 
Holding the McNeese offense in check will be the job of senior right-hander Ciara Luna (9-13, 2.52) and junior right-hander Laura Napoli (9-8, 3.35). Both have been effective in conference play this year, with Napoli posting a 5-1 record with a 1.45 ERA, while Luna is 6-5 with a 1.85 ERA.
 
"Laura and Ciara have both been fantastic this year," Bruder said. "We just haven't played good defense behind them at times, or gotten the timely hit. If we want to beat McNeese, we have to play good defense and come up with those timely hits."
 
LU, which is hitting .268 as a team, is led by Brittany Rodriguez, who is hitting .397. Brynn Baca (.317), Sable Hankins (.304) and Ashley McDowell (.301) are also hitting better than .300 this season.
 
"We've struggled at the bottom of the order this season," Bruder said. "We need somebody to step up and find a way to get on base. That's what the good teams do. We must have confidence this weekend. Our goal is to still win the conference, and if we want to win, we have to beat McNeese."
 
Following this weekend's series, the Cardinals host Baylor at 4 p.m. Tuesday in the final non-conference game of the regular season before heading to Incarnate Word for a three-game SLC series next weekend. LU wraps up the regular season by hosting a three-game conference series against Nicholls on May 5-6. The conference tournament is scheduled for May 10-13 in Conway, Ark.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES: McNeese holds a 21-6 lead in the series, dating back to 1984. LU is 1-13 vs. McNeese since reviving the program in 2013. That win came last season on April 29 as Kelly Meeuwsen's walk-off hit gave the Cardinals an 8-7 win.