BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University Cardinals open a seven-game homestand when they host the Sam Houston State Bearkats in a Southland Conference doubleheader at 4 p.m. Friday at the LU Softball Complex. The Cardinals and Bearkats also meet at 3 p.m. Saturday.
 
LU (18-19 overall, 8-4 Southland) looks to snap a four-game skid in SLC play. The Cardinals, who were swept at Southeastern Louisiana last weekend, are in fourth place in the conference, three games behind co-leaders McNeese and Abilene Christian, who are 11-1 in the conference. Sam Houston State (15-18, 6-6) is tied for fifth place with Southeastern Louisiana, five games out of first place and two games behind LU.
 
"We went from being in a good position for being in the conference tournament to being one of the teams that is in the hunt for one of the six spots," LU coach Holly Bruder said. "I don't know if our players fully understand that. Sam Houston State is right behind us. This is an important series."
 
The Bearkats, who dropped two of three at home against Stephen F. Austin last weekend, are just 4-8 in away games this season, while the Cardinals are 11-3 at home this season and 39-11 all-time at the LU Softball Complex since it opened in 2015.
 
Sam Houston State has a .286 team batting average. Tori Koerselman leads the Bearkats with a .356 batting average. Tiffany Thompson is hitting .337 with a team-leading 17 RBIs. Kaitlynn Dawson is hitting .324, while Megan Crosby hits .290 with a team-best five home runs.
 
"Sam Houston State has traditionally been a good-hitting team," Bruder said. "Bob Brock (Sam Houston State's head coach) has been doing this for a long time. He knows how to manipulate a game. Our pitching and hitting is going to have to be fantastic, and we're going to have to avoid the costly errors."
 
LU center fielder Brittany Rodriguez enters the weekend leading the Southland Conference with a .426 batting average. The junior is on pace to break the single-season LU batting-average record of .420 set by Donna Dugas in 1987. Rodriguez leads the Cardinals with a .522 slugging percentage and a .504 on-base percentage.
 
Left fielder Ashley McDowell, who is second on the team with a .331 batting average, enters the weekend with 98 career RBIs as she seeks to become the first player in program history with 100 RBIs in a career. McDowell already holds the LU career records for RBIs, home runs (20), doubles (37), runs scored (116), total bases (291), putouts (1,075) and fielding chances (1,155).
 
Catcher Brynn Baca is hitting .330 with a team-leading 24 RBIs.  Sable Hankins is batting .294 with a team-best three home runs to go along with 18 RBIs. As a team, the Cardinals are basting .286.
 
Senior right-hander Ciara Luna (6-11, 3.12), who is coming off a three-hit shutout win over Houston on Tuesday and junior right-hander Laura Napoli (8-8, 3.63) are Friday's expected starters, with one of those two likely to get the starting nod on Saturday. Luna's shutout was the fifth of her career, tying the LU record set by Laura Hall, who pitched for the Cardinals in 1985 and 1986.
 
"It's no secret that we are going to heavily rely on Ciara and Laura," Bruder said. "They need to come up big for us."
 
The Bearkats will likely counter with senior right-hander Tayler Atkinson (7-11, 2.79) and sophomore righty Lindsey McLeod (5-4, 3.58). That duo has also combined for five saves.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES: Sam Houston State leads the all-time series 19-5, dating back to the 1984 season. In the modern era since softball returned to LU in 2013, the Cardinals are 3-5 vs. the Bearkats. The teams have not met in the regular season since 2014. Last year, LU was a 6-2 winner over Sam Houston State in the first round of the Southland Conference Tournament.
 
PROMOTIONS: Friday is Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day, with pregame ceremonies to honor the LU employees who have help make a difference in the lives of the student-athletes. In addition, fans will receive a free softball stress ball while supplies last. Saturday is Camper Reunion Day, with youths who attended the LU softball camps over the summer receiving free admission when they wear their camp T-shirt. There will also be a postgame autograph session.
 
UP NEXT: Following this weekend's series, the Cardinals remain home to entertain Central Arkansas in a Southland Conference series next weekend. The Cardinals and Bears will play a 5 p.m. game on Good Friday and a doubleheader at 2 p.m. April 15. The homestand concludes with a non-conference clash with Texas State at 3 p.m. April 18.
 
TICKETS: For tickets to 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.