BEAUMONT, Texas — After picking up a 4-1 victory over Kansas at home, the Lamar University baseball team hits the road for four straight games beginning with a three-game series against UT Arlington on Friday.
BEAU KNOWS: Beau Durbin has reached base safely in all five games … Durbin leads the offense with a .421 average, .737 slugging percentage, .522 on base percentage, eight hits, three doubles and eight RBIs … He is also on a five-game hitting streak … Durbin has a team-high three multi-hit games.

THE OFFENSE: LU has tallied 15 doubles this season … The offense had a game high five doubles during Game 3 against Oakland University … A.J. Taylor ranks second on the team with a .400 average, .535 slugging percentage and .500 on base percentage.

FIRST HOMER OF THE YEAR: LU's first home run of the 2026 season came off the bat of Durbin during the bottom of the seventh vs. Kansas … Durbin hit a three-run shot that went 395 feet over the wall in right center.

GETTING ON BASE: Durbin, Taylor, Braden Benton and Tab Tracy have all reached base safely in their last five games … Tracy, Taylor and Durbin each have a five-game hitting streak.

RECEIVING PRAISE: Chris Olivier was not only recognized as the Southland Conference's Pitcher of the Week, but he was also honored nationally as the Dick Howser Trophy National Player of the Week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association as well as being named to Baseball America's Week 1 College Team of the Week … Olivier also earned the No. 1 spot on D1Baseball.com's Weekend 1 Top Performers: Top 100 Pitchers list … Olivier struck out 14 batters over 6.2 innings during the 8-2 season-opening win over Oakland University.

PUNCH OUTS: The LU pitching staff has 56 strikeouts … The staff tallied double-digit strikeout figures in its first three games.

MIDWEEK SUCCESS: Since 2010, LU has gone 89-73 in midweek contests ... Last season it finished 13-3 (8-0 at home and 5-3 on the road).

LU VS. THE TOP 25: The Cardinals have three more contests against top 25 programs this season which includes No. 7 TCU, No. 11 Oregon State and No. 24 Texas A&M … The last time LU took on four ranked opponents in a season was in 2016.

LU VS. THE POWER 4: LU has notched 10 wins over Power 4 programs since 2022 … Five of the 10 wins were over Big 12 programs … LU's win over Kansas marked its first victory over a Big 12 program since May 10, 2023 at Baylor … LU had three other wins against Big 12 programs in 2023, which also included Kansas State, Houston and TCU.

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: LU has gone 54-7 at home the last three seasons … LU has won 14 of its last 15 games at home.  
LU vs. UT Arlington: The Cardinals and Mavericks have met 127 times since 1969 … LU holds the upper hand leading the all-time series, 83-44 … LU is 30-17 vs. the Mavericks in Arlington with the last trip coming in 2023 … The Cardinals took two out of three from UT Arlington last season in Beaumont.
CATCHING UP: UT Arlington suffered a three-game sweep to Northwestern State to start the season … The Mavericks upset nationally ranked TCU at Globe Life Field on Tuesday by a score of 11-8 … UT Arlington scored nine runs in the first inning after sending 14 batters to the plate.

WHO TO WATCH: Graduate student and outfielder Preston Knott is tied for the team lead with a .389 average and seven hits … Knott leads the offense with a .611 slugging percentage … Senior infielder Xavier Melendez also sports a .389 average with seven hits … Knott and redshirt catcher Zach Mazoch have a team high four RBIs … The offense has 36 hits and 18 RBIs … The pitching staff has compiled a 5.87 ERA with 25 strikeouts … Junior Caylon Dygert tallied four strikeouts during a four-hitter in six innings of work in his season debut … Sophomore Hayes Melville sports a 1.93 ERA with six strikeouts in 4.2 innings ... UT Arlington went 21-33 overall and 11-13 in Western Athletic Conference play …  The Mavericks added 22 newcomers to their roster … Senior outfielder Xander McAfee (.294 average with 53 hits, 14 doubles, six home runs and 40 RBIs in 2025) along with Dygert (7-4 with 84.2 innings pitched and 61 strikeouts in 2025) both earned preseason All-WAC honors.