BEAUMONT, Texas – A tough non-conference game against one of the nation's best pitching staffs followed by a crucial three-game Southland Conference series at Sam Houston State is what's on tap for the Lamar University softball team this week.
 
The Cardinals (20-16 overall, 6-6 Southland) are at Texas State (25-8) at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday before heading to Sam Houston State (12-25, 5-7) for a doubleheader at 3 p.m. Friday and a single game at noon Saturday. LU enters the week tied for seventh place with Abilene Christian in the 12-team conference, one game ahead of Sam Houston State. The top eight teams qualify for next month's conference tournament in Lake Charles, Louisiana. All 12 SLC teams have 15 conference games remaining.
 
Texas State, a former member of the Southland Conference now competing in the Sun Belt Conference, is 20^th in the nation with a 1.84 ERA. The Bobcats' pitching staff is led by senior right-hander Randi Rupp (16-6, 1.32), who leads the nation with 200 strikeouts.
 
"She is a tremendous pitcher," LU coach Holly Bruder said of Rupp. "She has several pitches. You can't just look for one pitch. She has tied us up in the past. We fully expect to see her."
 
The Bobcats are paced offensively by senior first baseman Hailey MacKay, who is batting .402 with seven home runs and 25 RBIs. As a team, the Bobcats are hitting .290 and averaging 4.58 runs per game.
 
"This is another tough midweek game," Bruder said. "However, there is nothing like competing at this time of the season. These are the games that make us better."
 
The Cardinals come into the week after taking two of three games from visiting Southeastern Louisiana in a Southland Conference series over the weekend. Senior right-hander Laura Napoli (9-7, 3.22) threw complete-game victories in both of LU's wins, allowing just one earned run over the two contests. Napoli enters the week with 259 career strikeouts, 10 behind the school record of 269 held by Ciara Luna.
 
"Laura was tremendous in both games against Southeastern Louisiana," Bruder said. "She deserves to get the start Wednesday. She's become one of the senior leaders on this team."
 
Junior shortstop Savana Guidry leads LU with a .351 batting average and 12 stolen bases. Junior second baseman Kelly Meeuwsen is second on the team with a .315 batting average while leading the team with six home runs and 22 RBIs. Centerfielder Shannon Klaus (.310) and designated player Taylor Davis (.301) are also hitting better than .300 for the Cardinals.
 
"We're going to have to play the way we are capable of this week," Bruder said. "Our slappers are doing a good job of getting on base. They're going to have to keep that up, and our big hitters are going to have to come through with some key hits."
 
OVERALL SERIES: Texas State has a 6-3 lead in the overall series with LU. The Bobcats have won all three meetings since LU revived its softball program in 2013.
 
FORECAST: Wednesday game will start under a sunny sky with the temperature near 70 degrees. The wind will be out of the east-northeast at about 10 mph. The weekend series at Sam Houston State could be affected by rain. There will be thunderstorms early Friday and cloudy skies later in the day. The chance of rain is 50 percent. Saturday will see rain showers in the morning with overcast skies later in the day. Saturday's chance of rain is also 50 percent. If needed, the series would wrap up on Sunday under cloudy skies. There is only a 10 percent chance of rain on Sunday.
 
ON DECK: Following the weekend series at Sam Houston State, the Cardinals return home to host the University of Houston in a non-conference doubleheader at 4 p.m. April 11. LU is at Central Arkansas for a three-game Southland Conference series next weekend.
 
TICKETS: For tickets to all LU home games, 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.