BEAUMONT, Texas — The grind continues for the Lamar University baseball team as it begins a three-game series with the University of Albany at home beginning Friday at 2 p.m.
The time for Game 1 was changed due to the impending weather.
LU has played nine games in 10 days since starting the season on the road in California last week.
GREAT DANES AT A GLANCE
UAlbany finished 2024 with a 15-34-1 overall record while it went 10-13 in America East play, finishing fifth in the league.
The Great Danes have made six trips to the America East tournament in the last eight seasons.
UAlbany's last winning season in both overall and league play came in 2019 when the program finished 28-23 (14-9).
Four years ago, the Great Danes finished conference with a 20-18 record.
In the America East preseason poll, UAlbany was predicted to finish seventh while it had two players named to the preseason all-conference team.
Senior first baseman Ryan Ferremi made 48 starts last spring, putting together a .288 average with 49 hits, three home runs and 26 RBIs.
Junior pitcher Dylan Banner led the bullpen with a 4.85 ERA while he posted a 4-2 record in 52 innings pitched with 40 strikeouts.
Last season's leading hitter and junior outfielder Luke Filippi returns after batting .309 with a team-high 56 hits and 34 RBIs.
The Great Danes hit a collective .243 with 21 home runs, 244 RBIs, .335 slugging percentage and 385 hits.
This is UAlbany's first game of the season as the program plays its first 20 games on the road.
Dating back to 2000, the program has never traveled to Texas or played a team from the state.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
This marks the first meeting between both programs.
EAST COAST
The Cardinals are 87-37 all-time against schools from the east coast, which includes wins over two Power Four programs.
LU defeated Wake Forest in 2004 while it was also victorious over Penn State in 2010.
The Cardinals have played a team from the east coast the last eight straight seasons, sporting a 19-9 record in that span.
KEEPING TABS
Tab Tracy leads the Southland Conference with 10 hits alongside teammate
Damian Ruiz.
In five starts, Tracy is batting a team-high .588 with six RBIs, a double and three walks while riding a five-game hitting streak.
WALK IT OUT
In the updated NCAA Division I statistics, the Cardinals rank second in the nation in walks drawn (43).
Tennessee leads the country with 49.
Hector Rodriguez has been walked seven times as he is tied for 10th in the nation in base on balls.
Tarleton State's Hunter Smith leads the national in walks drawn with 10.
TONS OF RUNS
LU is tied for ninth in the country with 54 runs scored.
The Cardinals have outscored their opponents 36-8 to in their last three games, 54-17 for the season.
SOLID PITCHING
LU's pitching staff ranks first in the Southland Conference with a 3.07 ERA while it ranks second with 45 strikeouts.
The Cardinals staff also leads the Southland Conference in holding its opponents to a .200 average.
The starters have struck out a combined 24 batters.
Carter Sutton tossed a one-hitter with five strikeouts to post an ERA of 0.00 in Game 1 of the North Dakota State series.
Hayden Stallings and
Fabian Ramirez both lead the staff with seven strikeouts.
