BEAUMONT, Texas - Returning to the friendly confines of Vincent-Beck Stadium for the first time in 18 days, Lamar University (15-29, 7-17 SLC) opens up the final month of the 2019 regular season on Friday with a three-game series against Southland Conference leader Southeastern Louisiana University (25-20, 14-7 SLC). The Cardinals and Lions meet for the 61st time in conference play.

THE LAST TIME OUT - AT NEW ORLEANS - APRIL 26-28

Leading 5-0 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, bad luck struck against Lamar on Friday. The University of New Orleans scored six in their final frame of the game to escape with a 6-5 decision over the Cardinals in the first game of the Southland Conference series.

Bad luck again caught up to Lamar on Saturday. The Cardinals allowed two runs in the ninth and one in the 10th to the Privateers to fall 7-6.

Bending but not breaking for the final three outs of the game, Lamar took down UNO in the series finale. The Cardinals won 4-2 over the Privateers on Sunday.

UP NEXT - SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA - MAY 3-5

Probable Starters (Based on Assumptions by the SID):

Friday: LHP Noah Sills (2-6, 3.97 ERA) vs. RHP Corey Gaconi (6-2, 1.97 ERA)
Saturday: LHP Jason Blanchard (4-3, 2.66 ERA) vs. RHP Mason Knopp (6-1, 2.65 ERA)
Sunday: TBA vs. TBA

Series Record
All-Time Series: Lamar leads 42-36
Southland Conference Play: Tied 30-30
At Vincent-Beck Stadium: Lamar leads 19-15
At Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field: Lamar leads 19-18
At Neutral Site: Lamar leads 4-3
Last 10 Years: Southeastern Louisiana leads 22-11
Will Davis vs. Southeastern Louisiana: 1-5
Matt Riser vs. Lamar: 13-2
Last Meeting: March 18, 2018 (Southeastern Louisiana wins 5-3 at Lamar)

Southeastern Louisiana got off to a slow start this year, opening the year at just 2-6, but faced incredibly tough competition in the first month of the year with games against LSU, Mississippi State, Louisiana Tech, and Stony Brook - all perennial NCAA regional attendees. Since that opening month the Lions have gone 23-14, including a sweep of Abilene Christian and series wins in every SLC weekend except its opening series against Central Arkansas. Matt Riser is in his sixth season as the head coach of the Lions and is 219-127 in that time, including 120-51 against SLC competition. He's secured three NCAA tournament berths and a pair of Southland Conference titles since 2014.

SLU is one of the best defensive teams in the country with a stellar .977 fielding percentage, second in the SLC and 27th in the NCAA. That accompanies a 4.27 ERA, fifth in the SLC, and an impressive 2.91 strikeout-to-walk ratio which is second in the Southland and 14th in the NCAA. Their 8.7 strikeouts per nine innings is second in the conference and 94th-best in the country.

The Lion offense predicates on aggressive approaches at the plate and on the base paths. SLU is the conference leader in stolen bases this year with 76 - the 28th most in the NCAA - and is also the league leader in stolen bases per game with an average of 1.69 - 35th-best in D-1 baseball. Their batting average is just .255, the ninth-best in the league, but they have 382 hits this year and 191 walks. The offense averages 8.5 hits and 4.2 walks a game and translates that into 6.3 runs a game.

Cody Grosse has 23 of his team's 76 stolen bases this year, leading the SLC and ranking 28th in the NCAA. He's good for a stolen base every two games or so. Grosse is also the team leader in hits (53), batting average (.303), and triples (4), and has 21 walks this year. Preston Faulkner is tied with Grosse for the hits lead and is hitting at .297 with 14 doubles and seven homers. Kyle Schimpf is tied with Faulkner for the homer lead with seven moon shots and is hitting .287. Nathan Pilutti (11-12), Brennan Breaud (13-18), and Bryce Steckler (11-14) all have double-digit steals this year.

Mason Knopp, Saturday's starter, is 6-1 this year with a 2.65 ERA. Knopp is tops in the SLC and 42nd in the NCAA in hits allowed per nine innings with an average of 6.00. Team ERA leader Corey Gaconi (6-2, 1.97 ERA) is 10th in the SLC in hits allowed per nine innings with an average of 7.18. The starting duo has combined for 121 strikeouts to just 96 hits allowed while walking just 24. That's an average of 5.26 strikeouts per appearance while allowing just 5.21 hits AND walks per appearance. Jared Biddy (0-2, 3.21 ERA, 18 appearances) and Bryce Tassin (4-2, 4.35 ERA, 21 appearances) are the most likely bullpen options.


Lamar Quick Hits

• Robin Adames needs just 14 more hits to capture the LU career record. He has 243 entering Friday's game and is currently second all-time, passing Jerald Clark (242 hits, 1982-85) last Sunday at New Orleans. He also needs just 40 RBIs for the career RBI record and 13 more homers for the career home run record.
   
• JC Correa is Lamar's best bat in the last 10 games. The junior transfer from Santa Isabel, P.R., is hitting .404 in the last 10 games with 19 of his team-leading 58 hits during that span, including three doubles and four home runs. He's scored 10 runs and drivin in 11 more, accounting for about 2.1 runs a game. Correa has a .723 SLUG and a .429 OBP in that time with two walks and six strikeouts.
   
• Jason Blanchard has been lights out in his last three starts. He's worked a 2.05 ERA through 22 innings with 22 strikeouts to just six walks, allowing five earned runs on 16 hits. His opponents have a .193 batting average against the senior from Kingwood, Texas, with two doubles, two triples, and two home runs. He's 2-0 in those three starts.
   
• Dylan Johnson seems to be elevating his game when the Cardinals need him most. The freshman from Splendora, Texas, has a 1.29 ERA through his last five appearances, striking out 10 while allowing just six hits and one walk in seven innings.

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