BEAUMONT, Texas – Haruki Omori-Cowie (New Malden, England) and Juan Jose Rodriguez (Madrid, Spain) have signed National Letters of Intent to continue their education and playing career at Lamar University announced head coach Scott Shankles Monday afternoon. The two additions to the roster come at a perfect time because the Cardinals have three players who will be entering their final year of eligibility next year (due to the 2020 spring season being canceled and all athletes being granted an extra year of eligibility).
 
"These two guys are both very talented players," said Shankles. "They both will be able to make immediate impact on our lineup. Also, they are very strong in the classroom. These two young men will join our program as all-around student-athletes."
 
Omori-Cowie makes his way to the Golden Triangle with a top 70 U18 British ranking. One of Great Britain's top players, he enters his freshman season with a 1009 ITF world ranking – with a 1.2 LTA ranking. An elite doubles athlete, Omori-Cowie made one semifinal appearance and three quarterfinal appearances in ITF tournaments this past season.  
 
"I really liked Haruki's game and the way he hits the ball," said Shankles. "His experience, internationally and all over England, is very impressive. He brings with him a strong résumé of success with some very high rankings. He has also posted some very strong doubles results. Doubles is an area we work hard in and he really fits that role."
 
One of the top-ranked players in Spain, Rodriguez is ranked 85^th in the Absolute Spanish rankings, but has been as high as 81. He is currently ranked 18^th nationally in the U18 rankings. Over the course of the past six months, Rodriguez has been ranked either second or third nationally among players born in 2003.
 
"Juan Jose is a very strong player coming to us from Spain," said Shankles. "He has posted some very high Absolute rankings – which covers all of Spain. After talking with him Juan Jose was very excited about our vision for the future and our goals. While his focus has been more on singles, he has the potential to really excel on the doubles court as well."