BEAUMONT, Texas - Getting back into Southland Conference competition and looking to spoil their archrival's SLC debut, Lamar University (6-10, 0-3 SLC) will continue its four-game road trip this weekend with a three-game Battle of the Border at McNeese State University (10-7, 0-0 SLC). The Cards and Cowboys will meet for the 205th time on Friday and the 131st time in conference play.

THE LAST TIME OUT - RICE

Lamar jumped out on Rice University early but couldn't quite hold on Tuesday evening, ultimately falling 12-5 to the Owls in Reckling Park.

McNeese

Starters:
Friday: LHP Noah Sills (0-2, 3.27 ERA) vs. RHP Rhett Deaton (2-1, 6.50 ERA)
Saturday: LHP Jason Blanchard (2-2, 2.01 ERA) vs. TBA
Sunday: LHP Taylor Rich (0-1, 4.09 ERA) vs. RHP Cayne Ueckert (1-0, 3.60 ERA)

Series Record
All-Time Series: Lamar leads 118-84-2 (Lamar leads 88-43 in SLC play)
At Vincent-Beck Stadium: Lamar leads 62-48
At Joe Miller Ballpark: Lamar leads 53-32-2
At Neutral Site: McNeese leads 4-3
Will Davis vs. McNeese: 4-2
Justin Hill vs. Lamar: 9-7
Last Meeting: May 17, 2018 (Lamar wins 6-4)

McNeese is 10-7 this year in non-conference action and will be making its SLC season debut this weekend. The Cowboys have big wins over UTSA (16-5 and 12-3), Houston (13-5 in 14 innings), Alcorn (8-1), Holy Cross (13-0), and Louisiana-Monroe (13-12 & 10-2) and lost at Tulane (3-9), at Louisiana-Lafayette (10-16), Texas State (10-18 & 3-5), and Creighton (7-11). Justin Hill has been at McNeese since 2014 and holds a 165-137 record overall including an 87-63 mark in SLC play.

McNeese leads the Southland and ranks 12th in the country in bases-on-balls this year with 101 - that's an average of 6.31 walks a game. The Cowboy bats are one of the hottest in the league with a .302 avereage - third in the SLC and 27th in the NCAA, and their 35 doubles this year are also tops in the Southland. That offensive combo has McNeese leading the Southland in scoring with a stellar 8.3 runs a game.

Pitching has been a bit of a struggle for McNeese with a 5.75 ERA - 13th in the SLC. Their WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) is 11th in the conference and their 6.04 walks allowed a game is also 13th in the league. They average 9.1 strikeouts a game though which is best in the Southland.

Jake Dickerson paces his team in bases-on-balls with 15 this year. He's one of seven Cowboys averaging over .300 at the plate along with Shane Selman, Clayton Rasbeary, Nate Fisbeck, Reid Bourque, Carson Maxwell, and Schuyler Thibodaux. Most of them have over 20 hits already in just 16 games including team leader Selman with 28 - an average of 1.75 hits per game.

Rhett Deaton is projected as Friday's starter. He's got a 6.50 ERA through 18.0 innings with 21 hits, 13 earned runs, nine walks, and nine strikeouts. He'll be joined in the rotation by Cayne Ueckert on Sunday with a 3.60 ERA through 20.0 innings. Ueckert has struck out 17 in 2019 with 13 hits allowed, eight earned runs, and 16 walks. Saturday's starter has not yet been announced. Aidan Anderson (1-1, 6.46 ERA) continues in his relief role with 15.1 innings of work in seven appearances, and is a likely matchup against Lamar along with Bryan King who has a 3.44 ERA through 18.1 innings.

Lamar briefly returns home on Tuesday for a non-conference showdown with Southern University before heading back out on the road for Northwestern State and Texas A&M.

Lamar Quick Hits

• Avery George has a 15-game hit streak and a 26-game reached-base streak active right now. If he reaches 27 he'll tie Robin Adames for the active career-best on the LU roster.
• Adames is just 42 hits away from the career hits record for Lamar. He currently has 215 after averaging over 65 hits a year.
• Noah Sills hit the 100-innings mark for his career in his last appearance. He'll begin the game right at the 100.0 mark with a career ERA of 3.06. He has 63 career strikeouts.