HOUSTON, Texas – Returning to the road and to Southland Conference play, Lamar University (5-20, 1-8 SLC) will head west Thursday for the first of three games at Houston Baptist University (9-16, 3-3 SLC). Tanner Driskill will make his second start of the season, and Cole Coker looks to close out his hot-hitting March.

The Last Time Out – Northwestern State
Four runs surrendered in the first inning made a comeback a tough task for Lamar at home on Tuesday in the first of three mid-week, non-conference games against Northwestern State. The Cardinals scored two runs in the third inning in a rallying attempt and the Cardinal bullpen threw five scoreless innings, but it wasn't quite enough as LU fell 7-2.

Lamar vs. Houston Baptist

Series Record
All-Time Series: Lamar leads 26-17
At Lamar: Lamar leads 18-13
At Houston Baptist: Lamar leads 8-4
At Neutral Site: 0-0
Coach Davis against Houston Baptist: HBU leads 2-1
Coach Moon against Lamar: HBU leads 10-9

Scheduled Starters:

Thursday: RHP Tanner Driskill (1-2, 2.92 ERA) vs. RHP Zach Carter (0-3, 2.25 ERA)
Friday: LHP Noah Sills (2-3, 3.48 ERA) vs. LHP Matthew McCollough (2-1, 3.23 ERA)
Saturday: LHP Jason Blanchard (0-4, 4.24 ERA) vs. RHP Brady Bratten (2-3, 3.28 ERA)

Jared Moon, in his 13th year as skipper of his alma mater, has accrued a record of 343-353-2 overall and a 59-64 record in SLC play. This year the Huskies are 9-16 overall and 3-3 SLC, including a 3-3 mark at home.

The Huskies rank near the top of the Southland in several categories including home runs (third, 20), ERA (fourth, 3.92), walks allowed per nine innings (fourth, 3.59), and stolen bases (fifth, 26). HBU averages 4.0 runs per game while allowing 3.92 earned runs per game.

Zach Carter, Houston Baptist's Thursday starter, ranks third in the SLC in ERA among qualifying pitchers (2.48). He and Friday's starter Matthew McCollough have both started six games, tied for the most in the league, and McCollough has the Huskies' best WHIP (1.08, sixth in the SLC). Matt Heck leads the team and is sixth in the conference in wins (three).

Heck is also a threat offensively, leading the team in homers with five. He's hitting .307 with two doubles and a triple, 14 RBIs, and 12 runs scored. Jake Pulcheon has the RBI lead with 16, and Tyler Depreta-Johnson is just one RBI behind with 15 on the year.

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 20 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.

CARDS' SCHEDULE TOUGHEST IN SOUTHLAND
Lamar's strength of schedule ranks 44th in the country and first in the SLC according to the NCAA. Lamar's past opponents have a combined 291-208 record (.583), and the Cards' first two SLC opponents are currently first and second, respectively, in the league standings. Thankfully the schedule gets easier moving forward, with LU's opponents possessing a .460 winning percentage.

COKER LOVES MARCH
Cole Coker has been on a tear since the calendar flipped from February to March. In 14 games this month he's accounted for 22 percent of Lamar's total hits (22 of 102), hitting .373 with three walks and five strikeouts. His slugging percentage is .424, and he's also got a .403 OBP.