For Immediate Release           Mar. 2, 2021
 
Cardinals Open Season Against Houston
 
BEAUMONT, Texas – March 11th, 2020, that is the last time the Lamar University baseball team stepped on the field – all thanks to COVID-19. After several cancellations this season, Lamar University will be looking to end that stretch and officially kick off the 2021 campaign Wednesday against Houston.
 
When LU steps on field against the Cougars, Houston will have a decided advantage coming into the game having already played seven games. The Cougars are 6-1 (.857) on the season after sweeping a three-game set from Texas Southern and taking three of four from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi over the weekend.
 
The Cardinals were expecting to be seven games into their season as well but had to cancel a road series at UT Rio Grande Valley in addition to home games against Rice and a series against Texas State.
 
Due to the cancellations, Trevin Michael will be the Cardinals opening-day starter. A junior from Piedmont, Okla., Michael posted a 2-1 record during the COVID-shortened season with a 2.42 ERA in 26 innings. He finished the year with 32 strikeouts to just nine walks.
 
The Cougars will counter with Matt Lazzaro (LHP). The former Furman transfer has pitched just two-thirds of an inning against Texas Southern recording two strikeouts. He made 31 appearances during his time at Furman, with his best season coming last year when he recorded a 2.12 ERA in 17 innings while holding opponents to a .177 batting average.
 
The Cardinals trail the all-time series to Houston, 54-29 (.651), which dates back to the 1952 season. While Houston has won four straight in the series, the last time the two teams met (2019) the contest came down to the wire with UH pulling out the one-run victory, 8-7. The Cougars scored three runs in the final two innings to escape Beaumont with the win.
 
Wednesday's season opener is slated to begin at 6 p.m. from Vincent-Beck Stadium. The game will be streamed live via the Cardinals athletics web site. Fans can watch the game by clicking here.