BEAUMONT, Texas — Lamar University continues its homestand this weekend, hosting Incarnate Word for a three-game series beginning Friday.
NATION'S BEST PITCHER: Chris Olivier improved to 4-0 after tossing six innings with eight strikeouts in Game 2 against A&M-Corpus Christi … He is ninth nationally in Division I with 52 strikeouts, 16th with a 1.17 ERA and tied for 21st with a 0.83 WHIP … Olivier has recorded double‑digit strikeouts in each of his three home starts, fanning 37 batters while allowing just three hits and no runs … In the Southland, Olivier ranks first in opposing batting average (.149) and innings pitched (38.1), tied for second in wins, second in strikeouts (52) and in ERA.

EARNING RECOGNITION: Olivier has earned Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week honors three times this season (Feb. 16, March 2 and March 16) … He was also named Dick Howser Trophy National Player of the Week (Feb. 17) and recognized nationally by D1Baseball.com, 64 Analytics and Baseball America.

SOLID FRESHMAN: Jarret Williams has allowed just three earned runs over 23.1 innings across five starts, posting a 1.17 ERA with 21 strikeouts.

PITCHING HIGHLIGHTS: Fabian Ramirez has allowed just one earned run over 9.2 innings this season, posting a 0.93 ERA with 10 strikeouts across nine appearances … The LU pitching staff has also recorded two combined one‑hitters — against UT Rio Grande Valley during Game 2 and Louisiana Tech — marking the first time since 2013 the Cardinals have thrown multiple combined one‑hitters in a single season.

OFFENSIVE LEADER: Beau Durbin leads the team with a .343 batting average, 37 hits, seven doubles, two triples, 21 RBIs, a .528 slugging percentage and a .933 OPS … He ranks second in the Southland Conference in hits, at-bats (108) while he's tied for second in triples and tied for fifth in runs (24) … He also leads the team with 10 multi‑hit games and six multi‑RBI performances.

KEEPING TABS ON TAB: Tab Tracy leads the team with eight stolen bases and a .414 on base percentage while he's second with a .337 batting average, 34 hits and 20 RBIs ... He ranks sixth in the Southland Conference in at‑bats (101), eighth in hits and is tied for eighth in stolen bases … Tracy has reached base safely in 16 straight games and is riding a seven‑game hitting streak, batting .375 (12 for 32) with nine RBIs over his last seven contests.

GETTING ON BASE: A.J. Taylor ranks third on the team with 29 hits … Braden Benton leads the team with 22 walks, tying for third in the Southland in walks.

OFFENSIVE RESURGENCE: Kevin Duran drove in six runs in Game 3 against A&M-Corpus Christi, becoming the second Cardinal this season with five or more RBIs in a game, joining Tracy's five-RBI performance versus McNeese in Game 3 … Duran ranks second on the team with an .890 OPS and a .494 slugging percentage while sitting third with 17 RBIs and a .321 batting average ... Duran has gone 8 for 13 (.615) with a double, home run and seven RBIs over his last three games … Brayden Evans is 5 for 16 (.313) with a double, home run and four RBIs in his last three games … Evans is tied for the team lead in home runs with three alongside Durbin and Duran.

HOME RUN TRACKER: LU has hit 13 home runs this season, with 11 coming on the road … Durbin's three-run homer against Kansas on Feb. 18 was the team's first at home … Evans added the second at home with a two-run walk-off homer against Tarleton State on March 24.

EXTRA INNINGS: The Cardinals have played in five extra‑inning games this season, posting a 4-1 record … All five contests went 10 innings.

WALK IT OFF: Since 2025, LU has recorded nine true walk-off wins, including four walk-off victories secured via the 10-run rule … The walk-off win over Tarleton State marked the team's second in March, following Durbin's RBI single that lifted the Cardinals to a 2-1 victory over UTRGV.

HOME SWEET HOME: LU has gone 60-10 at home since 2024.

MIDWEEK SUCCESS: The Cardinals have six midweek contests remaining, two of which are at home against Tulane and BYU … LU has gone 91-76 in midweek games since 2010, including a 16-7 mark since 2025.

• Northwestern State (16-9, 8-4)
• UTRGV (13-12, 8-4)
• Lamar (15-10, 8-4)
• Stephen F. Austin (13-12, 5-4)
• Southeastern Louisiana (13-12, 5-4)
• McNeese (12-12, 6-6)
• Nicholls (13-13, 5-6)
• Houston Christian (11-13, 4-5)
• UIW (13-12, 5-7)
• New Orleans (11-15, 4-8)
• A&M-Corpus Christi (11-13, 1-7)

LU vs. UIW: LU is 18-9 against UIW since the team's first met in 2015 and has won eight of the last nine matchups … LU has also swept UIW in its last two home series in 2024 and 2017.
CATCHING UP: UIW opened the season with a 6-2 record before dropping six of its next eight games … On the road in New Orleans, UIW claimed its first conference series by taking two of three from the Privateers … The Cardinals then lost a series at home to Nicholls, two games to three, last weekend before falling in a midweek road matchup at Baylor.

WHO TO WATCH: Senior outfielder Jake Weaver sports a team best .375 average with 36 hits, seven doubles and 28 RBIs … Senior utility player Cole Tabor is on a 25-game on base streak while leading the team with six home runs … Senior righthander E.J. Garcia leads the staff with 27 strikeouts and 36 innings pitched while sporting a 5.50 ERA in six starts.