BEAUMONT, Texas – Returning to the friendly confines of Vincent-Beck Stadium after a two-game, three-day road trip to Tulane, Lamar University (3-7) will get back to action quickly this weekend when the Cardinals host UTRGV (5-4). First pitch in the series is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday with RHP Jace Campbell facing UTRGV's Carter Johnson.

The Last Time Out – Tulane
Big Red's bats were a bit cold in the first game in the Big Easy with just one hit and one run scored in LU's first game against the Green Wave, a 7-1 loss on Tuesday. The Cards were much more aggressive Wednesday and jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, but three errors and a wild pitch proved costly in an eventual 6-2 loss.

Lamar vs. UTRGV (formerly UT-Pan American)

Series Record
Lamar vs. UTRGV: Lamar leads 70-47
Lamar vs. UTRGV at Vincent-Beck: Lamar leads 40-17
Lamar vs. UTRGV at Edinburg Baseball Stadium: Lamar leads 30-27
Lamar vs. UTRGV at a Neutral Site: UTRGV leads 3-0

Scheduled Starters:

Friday: RHP Jace Campbell (0-1, 2.70 ERA) vs. RHP Carter Johnson (0-1, 3.00 ERA)
Saturday: LHP Noah Sills (2-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. LHP Jorge Flores (1-1, 14.54 ERA)
Sunday: LHP Grason Wright (0-1, 1.50 ERA) vs. RHP Chase Adams (2-0, 3.46 ERA)

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, the by-product of the merger of UT-Pan American and UT-Brownsville, comes to Beaumont with a 5-4 record under first year skipper Derek Matlock, who was the pitching coach of the University of West Virginia for six years and took his 2017 Mountaineer squad to an NCAA Regional appearance for the first time in 21 years._­

The Vaqueros, who absorbed all the athletic history of UTPA, are playing Lamar for the 118th, 119th, and 120th times this weekend. Lamar holds a 70-47 edge in those meetings, including a 40-17 lead in games at The Beck, but UTRGV took two of three when Lamar visited Edinburgh Baseball Stadium in 2017.

UTRGV is 2-1 so far this season against Southland Conference teams, having swept Stephen F. Austin in the Vaqueros' season-opening Al Olgetree Classic and lost 5-4 to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Feb. 20.

The Vaqueros own a high-powered offense that has scored 50 runs on 77 hits this season, including 11 doubles, one triple, and eight homers. UTRGV averages 5.6 runs per game, slightly more than the 4.39 earned runs the Vaqueros are surrendering per game.

Ivan Estrella and Carter Johnson were honored as members of Perfect Game's Preseason All-WAC team, and Estrella and Austin Siener were named to the 2018 Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award watch list. Estrella is hitting .333 on the year with one homer and two RBI as a short stop, and Siener is batting .364, also with a home run and two RBI, at first base. Johnson has been consistent on the mound for UTRGV, striking out 14 while walking four in two appearances. The senior from Encinintas, Calif., has a 3.00 ERA and an 0-1 record.

News and Notes from Lamar

SECREST STREAK CONTINUES
Cole Secrest has reached first at least once in every game so far in his Cardinal career. Robin Adames has the active career best, reaching 26 times in a row in 2016.

NOTHING LIKE HOME SWEET HOME
Vincent-Beck Stadium has been the home of the Cardinals since 1969, and the site of 1,388 Big Red games. LU holds an impressive mark of 919-467-6 (.661) all-time at The Beck, including 27 seasons with 20 or more home wins. In 2017 the Cardinals went 23-6 at home, its best Beck winning percentage since 2013.

THE 'BO JACKSONS' OF THEIR TIME
Jack Dallas and Kirkland Banks are both members of the Lamar University baseball team and football team. The duo make LU one of just five NCAA Division 1 schools with two multi-sport athletes. The others are California's Brandon McIlwain and Conor Neumann, Minnesota's Jacob Herbers and Drew Hmielewski, Penn State's Mac Hippenhammer and Matt McCutcheon, and Western Illinois's Justin Fitzpatrick and Steve McShane.

NEW PITCHERS, NO PROBLEMS
Five of LU's six starters so far this season are new to the team, including Noah Sills, Jack Dallas, Grason Wright, Jason Blanchard, and Taylor Rich. They've combined for a 2.16 ERA in 33.1 innings pitched through eight starts. The group has a 2-3 record with 27 strikeouts to 33 hits and eight earned runs.