BEAUMONT, Texas – Lamar University will close the regular season with seven of their final eight games on the road beginning Wednesday evening in a midweek rematch against Rice. Just seven days after the first meeting, the second contest will take place in Houston at Reckling Park.
 
The Southland Conference leaders have won five of their last seven, including two of three against Northwestern State over the weekend to take a 2.0 game lead into the final two weeks of the regular season. Big Red travels to Houston looking to avenge a home loss to the Owls last week.
 
In the first meeting, Rice scored four runs in the second inning forcing Lamar to play catch up the rest of the night. Lamar came roaring back but fell 8-6, which was just the team's third loss at home (to that point) all season.
 
Now the Cardinals take the trip down I-10 to face Rice (19-28) on its home turf. After defeating Lamar, the Owls traveled to Charlotte, N.C., for a three-game series against 49ers. Rice dropped two of three to Charlotte but took the series finale.
 
Lamar has had one of the strongest pitching staffs all season leading the conference in several key categories. The Cardinals will enter Wednesday's match up leading not only the SLC but the nation in earned run average (3.26) and second in the country – to only Arkansas – in WHIP (1.15).
 
All three of Lamar's weekend rotation starters landed in DIBaseball's (Kendall Rogers) Top 100 Pitchers for Week 12 of the season. Even Trhea Morse, who has started six of the Cardinals' 10 midweek games in 2024 has posted a 4-1 (.800) record with a 4.64 ERA and 22 strikeouts.
 
Wednesday's game is set for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch from Reckling Park. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.