BEAUMONT, Texas – With namesake bragging rights again on the line, Lamar University and the University of the Incarnate Word will meet for the 10th time this weekend in a battle that puts all the Cards on the table. The first game between Lamar (4-17, 0-6 SLC) and UIW (13-10, 3-3 SLC) will begin Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Daniel Sullivan Field in San Antonio, Texas.

The Last Time Out – Houston
The Cardinals played Houston tough, holding the Cougars scoreless for seven of eight innings pitched by the Lamar staff and briefly leading 1-0 in the seventh inning. But the Coogs (12-8) fought back with a three-run seventh inning to take a 3-1 decision over Big Red.

Cole Secrest scored LU's lone run of the game after hitting a double, reaching third on a grounder from Robin Adames, and being driven home on Cole Coker's RBI single, Coker's eight RBI of the season.

Lamar vs. Incarnate Word

Series Record
All-Time Series: Lamar leads 6-3
At Lamar: Lamar leads 4-2
At Incarnate Word: Lamar leads 2-1
At Neutral Site: Tied 0-0
Coach Davis against Incarnate Word: Lamar leads 3-0
Coach Hallmark against Lamar: First Meeting

Scheduled Starters:
Friday: RHP Tanner Driskill (0-2, 3.38 ERA) vs. RHP Tyler Miller (2-1, 1.88 ERA)
Saturday: LHP Noah Sills (2-2, 2.22 ERA) vs. RHP Luke Taggart (2-1, 4.97 ERA)
Sunday: LHP Jason Blanchard (0-3, 2.45 ERA) vs. RHP Bernie Martinez (2-2, 4.10 ERA)

In its first season under Patrick Hallmark, Incarnate Word is 13-10 this year and 3-3 in Southland Conference play. The "other" Cardinals swept Abilene Christian in its opening conference series but then dropped three in a row at Central Arkansas, and is currently riding a four-game losing streak after dropping a heartbreaker at #30 Texas State, 6-5, on Wednesday.

UIW ranks in the top half of the Southland in several categories, including bases on balls (fourth, 100), on-base percentage (fourth, .382), stolen bases (second, 29), and sac flies (first, 15). The Cards average 5.2 runs per game while giving up 4.38 earned runs per game.

Ridge Rodgers has the third-most walks for an SLC batter so far this season with 15, and he's been known to lay down the bunt, tied with his teammates Ryan Gonzalez and Mark Whitehead for ninth in the conference with three sac bunts this year. David Anaya has an NCAA-best six sac flies, part of his team-leading 21 RBIs this year. Kyle Bergeron is swinging .376 this season with 35 hits, including five doubles.

All three scheduled starters for UIW have pitched at least 28 innings this year, averaging five innings of work per game. Tyler Miller has the best ERA among qualifying pitchers on the team (1.88), and both Miller and Bernie Martinez have struck out 25 batters apiece.

On Deck

Lamar will briefly return home March 27 for a mid-week game against Northwestern State (11-9, 2-1 SLC) before hitting the road again to close out March at Houston Baptist (8-13, 2-1 SLC).

News and Notes on Lamar

HAVE BATS, WILL TRAVEL
Lamar will spend a significant portion of the rest of the 2018 season away from the friendly confines of Vincent-Beck Stadium, with 23 road games to just 11 home games remaining this year. That follows a string of 17 home games in Big Red's first 21 games this year.

REPLACEMENT ARMS DOING A-OKAY
After losing two of its starting pitchers to the 2017 MLB Draft and several more to graduation, Lamar had to replace the majority of its pitching staff in the 2018 offseason. Six of LU's seven starters so far this season are new to the team, including Noah Sills, Jack Dallas, Grason Wright, Jason Blanchard, Chet Jones, and Taylor Rich. They've combined for a 2.97 ERA through 66.2 innings pitched, notching a 2-7 record in 16 starts with 70 hits allowed and 51 strikeouts to 21 walks.

DEVORE DEMONSTRATING SENIOR CLASS ON AND OFF THE FIELD
Released earlier this week, Grant DeVore is one of just 30 student-athletes nation-wide to be named to the Senior CLASS award watch list, and the only nominee from the Southland Conference. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.

An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School^®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. 
 
The 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four C's of community, classroom, character and competition. The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2018 College World Series^® in June.