BEAUMONT, Texas – Returning to Southland Conference action this weekend, Lamar University (7-26, 3-12 SLC) will travel to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (18-17, 3-9 SLC) for a three-game series. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. Friday at Chapman Field.

The Last Time Out – Northwestern State

A one-run game through four innings in Beaumont, Northwestern State (17-14) pulled away late against Lamar on Tuesday. Philip Ingram stretched his career-best hit streak to nine games.

Lamar vs. New Orleans

Series Record
All-Time Series: Lamar leads 37-15
At Lamar: Lamar leads 22-6
At A&M-Corpus Christi: Lamar leads 14-8
At Neutral Site: Tied 1-1
Coach Davis against A&M-Corpus Christi: Lamar leads 3-0
Coach Malone against Lamar: Lamar leads 21-11

Scheduled Starters:

Friday: RHP Tanner Driskill (2-3, 3.60 ERA) vs. RHP Aaron Hernandez (1-4, 3.86 ERA)
Saturday: LHP Noah Sills (2-4, 3.92 ERA) vs. RHP Leo Perez (4-2, 3.08 ERA)
Sunday: LHP Jason Blanchard (0-4, 3.07 ERA) vs. RHP Dustin Lacaze (2-3, 4.35 ERA)

In his 11th season as skipper of the Islanders, Scott Malone has a 271-319-2 record and a 140-155 mark in the Southland. This season his team is 18-17 overall but 3-9 in conference play. A&M-Corpus Christi has the eighth-best ERA in the conference (4.15) and leads the league in shutouts this year with three. Their offense is hitting .272, sixth in the league, and is scoring an average of 5.9 runs per game, seventh in the SLC.

Friday's starter has one complete game on the year in eight starts and is third in the Southland in strikeouts (59). Chris Cooper has four saves in 11 appearances with a 3.79 ERA.

Enrique Sanchez Jr. (.338), Jackson Owens (.318), and Harrison DiNicola (.313) are all hitting above .300 with DiNicola sixth in the league in slugging percentage (.550).

News and Notes on Lamar

HAVE BATS, WILL TRAVEL
Lamar has just six games left in Vincent-Beck Stadium with the vast majority of its remaining games on the road, including a stretch of 12 consecutive away that will start April 24 at LSU and end May 13 at Stephen F. Austin.

INGRAM HEATING UP WITH THE TEMPERATURE
As the calendar flipped from February to March Ingram improved from .000 in the opening month of the season to .288 in the second month of the 2018 campaign. In four games in April he's now hitting .400 and has drawn five walks. Logan LeJeune has also impressed as of late, hitting .333.

ERICKSON CONTINUES TO DAZZLE IN FINAL CARDINAL CAMPAIGN
Ryan Erickson, who began his life at Lamar University as an outfielder, has blown away the opposition in his second full season as a pitcher. The Beaumont native has an ERA of 1.40 through 25.2 innings in 15 appearances. He's struck out 33 while allowing just 14 hits and walking five. In April he's got a 0.00 ERA and a 0.059 opposing batting average.