BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University men's tennis team has reached the midway point of a five-match stretch that has the Cardinals on the road for four of five. The good news is their next outing will be at home Friday against Abilene Christian, before returning to the road to face Jackson State.
 
The Cardinals (4-7) recorded a split in the first two matches of the current swing shutting out Oral Roberts before dropping a contest to No. 47 Arkansas.
 
The contest against Abilene Christian will be a rematch from earlier this year when Lamar traveled to Abilene, Texas to take on the Wildcats. ACU won the first meeting between the two schools, but the Cardinals hold the all-time series advantage, 14-12 (.538), and are 5-5 (.500) in Beaumont against ACU.
 
The Wildcats have struggled since facing Lamar the first time. ACU is 6-8 (.429) on the season but is 2-5 since the last time these two schools have met with those two wins coming at the hands of Tyler Junior College and Trinity University. ACU enters the week having lost four straight.
 
Friday's match is slated for an 11 a.m. start from the Thompson Family Tennis Center.
 
Following the match, the Cardinals will hit the road for Jackson, Miss., to take on Jackson State. The Tigers have won three of their last five matches, with two of their three wins coming in conference play. Jackson State will take on UIW Saturday before hosting Lamar in just the second meeting in school history (the first meeting came during the 2014 season where LU won on a neutral court).
 
The Cardinals are working their way to the start of Southland Conference play. Following the weekend matches, Lamar will have only two more non-conference matches until opening SLC play against Nicholls.