BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University travels to Norman, Okla., Thursday looking to start a new win streak but they will have to do it against a nationally ranked foe. The Cardinals (19-5/.792) winners in 13 of their last 14 outings just had their nation's leading 13-game win streak snapped Tuesday evening in at Houston. Now the Cardinals turn their focus to No. 25 Oklahoma for a three-game series that will begin Thursday evening.
 
The Sooners enter the week with a 15-9 (.625) overall record and looking to right the ship after a bumpy five-game stretch that saw them drop a series to West Virginia and a midweek game to Dallas Baptist. Unfortunately, Oklahoma is incredibly tough at L. Dale Mitchell Park with nine home wins this season.
 
While Thursday marks the start of the first three-game series between the two since the 2002 campaign, the Cardinals have had some success in Norman. Lamar leads the all-time series, 9-6 (.667), a mark which includes a 3-3 record on the road. Big Red won the last meeting between the two which was a 14-11 contest in 2022. Lamar has won three of the previous four meetings.
 
LU will look to continue riding the strength of it pitching staff which has posted a Southland Conference best 3.43 earned run average through 24 games. Big Red's three weekend rotation starters have combined to post a 10-2 record with a 2.93 ERA with 92 strikeouts in 101.1 innings pitched. That trio has surrendered only 19 free bases on the season.
 
Lamar also leads the Southland with nine saves and a .208 opponent's batting average.
 
The Sooners will attack Lamar's staff with an offense that is hitting .310 on the season with 19 home runs and 155 runs batted in. Oklahoma has recorded a .410 batting average through 24 games and has swiped 40 (of 51 attempts) bases on the year.
 
The series against Oklahoma will serve as the Cards' final non-conference weekend series for the Southland co-leaders.
 
The first game of the series is set for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch Thursday. The two teams will also play Friday at 6:30 p.m. before closing the series Saturday with a 2 p.m. start. All three games will be played L. Dale Mitchell Park and will be broadcast live on ESPN+.