BEAUMONT, Texas – When Lamar University and Sam Houston step on the field Friday at Don Sanders Stadium in Huntsville, Texas to open a three-game series it will be a showdown of the top two teams in the WAC's Southwest Division. Currently, the Bearkats have a slight edge in the standings leading Big Red by a mere two games.
 
The Cardinals (25-16/11-7 WAC) enter the week having won three of the last four games which includes consecutive wins over Stephen F. Austin and Houston. In the past 11 days, the Cardinals have recorded a 5-3 (.625) record which includes wins over Pacific, Oklahoma and Houston. But the importance is dialed up a notch with the start the of a new conference series against Sam Houston. A sweep by the Cardinals and they will be back atop the division alone, with three series remaining before the start of the conference championships. A series win by Sam Houston, and they would be in the divisional driver's seat with four weeks remaining until the start of the tournament in Mesa, Ariz.
 
Winners of four straight, the Bearkats have bounced back from a small four-game skid. SHSU has been riding the strength of its offense during the current run which has seen the boys from Huntsville score double-digit runs three times during that stretch. Sam Houston is averaging 13 runs per game during its current win streak and is coming off a 19-3 thumping of Houston Baptist.
 
The Cardinals enter the week with the Magic Number to qualify for the conference championships down to eight. Any combination of eight LU wins for Stephen F. Austin losses will put Big Red back in the postseason.
 
Big Red trails the all-time series, 64-76-1 (.457), to Sam Houston – a mark that includes a 22-40-1 (.357) record in Huntsville. While the series, which dates back to the spring of 1952, has been in favor of the Bearkats recently, LU took the first series between the two earlier this year in Beaumont. The Cardinals won the first two games of the series, including a one-run victory in extras in the Friday contest.
 
Friday's game is slated for 6:30 p.m. start from Don Sanders Stadium. The Cardinals will pitch Braxton Douthit (6-1, 2.75 ERA) Friday, Adam Wheaton (6-2, 3.13 ERA) Saturday with Sunday's starter yet to be determined. The Bearkats will counter with Matt Dillard (5-3, 3.81 ERA), Steven Beard (4-2, 5.37 ERA) and Coltin Atkinson (4-0, 6.68 ERA).
 
The first two games of the series will be streamed live on ESPN+.