BEAUMONT, Texas – Looking to bounce back from a midweek setback and get back in the win column, the Lamar University baseball team (2-2) will be in Sugar Land, Texas Friday through Sunday to play three-games against different teams.
 
Two of three games will be against in-state rivals and former conference foes. Big Red will face Illinois-Chicago Friday at 11 a.m. followed by a contest against Stephen F. Austin Saturday at 7 p.m. The Cardinals will close out the tournament Sunday at 2 p.m. against UTSA.
 
The Cardinals belted three home runs in their last outing and hung five runs on the board at Baylor Tuesday but Lamar found itself forced to climb out of an early hole as the Bears struck for runs in the first three innings, but LU dominated the game from the fourth inning outscoring Baylor 5-1 during that stretch.
 
Lamar returns to Sugar Land after posting a perfect 3-0 record in the tournament a year ago. The Cardinals received some great pitching and got some clutch hitting from its offense as LU defeated Stephen F. Austin and Houston Christian (non-conference) in one-run affairs while 2022 NCAA tournament participant New Mexico State dropped a 5-2 decision to the Red and White.
 
UIC jumped out to a quick start on the year taking a three-game series from Kansas in Corpus Christi, Texas, but the Flames have since dropped consecutive games, including a 22-7 decision at UIW Wednesday. The Cardinals 1-2 all-time against UIC. The Flames won the first two meetings (2007 and 2014) but the Cardinals split the 2014 two-game series defeating the Flames in the second game.
 
Completely different than UIC, Stephen F. Austin is one the oldest rivalries in program history for the Red and White. The two schools have played each other 103 times with the Cardinals taking 75 of those meetings. SFA is 3-3 on the season but has dropped consecutive games heading to Sugar Land. The Lumberjacks will play UTSA Friday before facing LU.
 
UTSA (2-3) heads to Sugar Land having dropped consecutive games. The Roadrunners split a four-game series with UT Arlington to open the season before falling at Tarleton State in a midweek game. The 'Runners will face SFA and Creighton in the tournament before squaring off against Lamar.
 
A series which dates back to 1996, the Cardinals are a game under .500 (28-29) all-time against UTSA. Among the 57 games played in the series, only five have been on a neutral site. The Cardinals are 2-3 (.400) in those games.