BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University softball coach Holly Bruder continues to get teams from the Power Five conferences to come to the LU Softball Complex.
 
The Penn State Nittany Lions of the Big Ten join the ranks of teams such as the Baylor Bears, the Kansas Jayhawks and top-ranked Washington Huskies to take on the Cardinals on their home field when the teams meet in a single game at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
 
"We're not afraid to play anybody," Bruder said. "I want to host teams of that caliber. I want our players to see what it takes to get to that level and I want our fans to see where we want to be."
 
The Cardinals (10-9) bring a three-game winning streak into Wednesday's contest. LU went 3-2 at Mississippi State's Bulldog Slamboree over the weekend, taking two games from Alcorn State, splitting a pair of one-run games with Mercer and dropping a 6-3 decision to 25^th-ranked Mississippi State.
 
"We saw some good things, but there are some things we still have to work on," Bruder said. "That's what February and early March are for; to make us better and get ready for our conference schedule."
 
Wednesday's game against Penn State will be LU's final tuneup before opening Southland Conference play this weekend with a three-game series at Northwestern State.
 
Senior right-hander Laura Napoli (3-5, 3.73) and freshman right-hander Taylor Gruell (3-1, 4.03) will likely both pitch for the Cardinals in Wednesday's game as Bruder tries to give them both some work in preparation for the weekend.
 
Shortstop Savana Guidry leads LU with a .379 batting average. Guidry has been especially dangerous at the LU Softball Complex, where she is hitting .667 over six games. Shannon Klaus is hitting .341 for the Cardinals, followed by Shelby Henderson, who is batting .315 with a team-leading 14 RBIs. Henderson is tied with Kelly Meeuwsen for the team lead in home runs with three.
 
Penn State (1-10), which is scheduled to play at Texas A&M on Tuesday before facing LU on Wednesday, is led by Tori Dubois, who is hitting .361 with a team-leading five RBIs. Senior right-hander Jessica Cummings (1-4, 3.57) has appeared in all 11 games for the Nittany Lions with seven starts. Junior righty Madison Shaffer (0-5, 4.78) has made 10 appearances in the circle with four starts.
 
Wednesday's game will be streamed on Facebook Live.
 
ON DECK: The Cardinals head to Natchitoches, Louisiana, for three games against Northwestern State to open SLC play. The teams will play a doubleheader at 5 p.m. Friday and a single game at 2 p.m. Saturday. LU's next home game is 2 p.m. March 13 when Eastern Kentucky comes to town for a non-conference game.
 
TICKETS: Fans holding tickets for Day 3 of the Cardinal Classic that was rained out can redeem those tickets for Wednesday's game. For individual-game and season tickets, please call 409-880-1715, or CLICK HERE. The Montagne Center ticket office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. The ticket window at the LU Softball Complex will open one hour prior to first pitch on game days. LU students receive free admission to home games with their Cardinal One card, while Junior Cardinal Club members are admitted for free when they present their membership badge.