BEAUMONT, Texas — With only four conference series remaining — two of them at Vincent-Beck Stadium — Lamar University sits just a game and a half out of first place.

The Cardinals will host league leader Northwestern State for a pivotal three-game series beginning Friday.

LU is currently tied for third place in the Southland Conference with Stephen F. Austin.
KEEPING TABS ON TAB: Tab Tracy remains the offensive leader with a .331 average, 47 hits, .435 on-base percentage, .815 OPS, 12 multi-hit games and 14 stolen bases … Tracy is one of just two players to record at least two four-hit games … His 20-game on-base streak was the 12th by a Lamar hitter since 2010 to reach 20 or more games … Tracy hit his first career home run in Game 2 at Nicholls.

OFFENSIVE LEADER: Beau Durbin leads the team with 154 at-bats, 30 runs, nine doubles, four home runs, 27 RBIs, seven multi-RBI games and a .442 slugging percentage … Durbin also ranks second on the team with 43 hits, and his 15-game hitting streak was the longest of the season … Durbin is on a five-game hitting streak with five RBIs during the span.

STAY HOT, HECTOR: Hector Rodriguez is batting .360 in 22 starts with 31 hits, five doubles, two home runs and 16 RBIs … Rodriguez has gone 9 for 12 (.750) over his last three games, adding three doubles, a home run and four RBIs.

SPARKING THINGS UP: Lane Sparks is riding a 10‑game on‑base streak, collecting two triples and eight RBIs during the span … Sparks leads the team with three triples and ranks third with six stolen bases … He made his pitching debut in Game 2 against Oregon State, tossing one shutout inning while allowing one hit and striking out one.

OFFENSIVE HIGHLIGHTS: A.J. Taylor ranks third on the team with 38 hits and is second in stolen bases with eight while his 10-game hitting streak was the second longest of the season … Kevin Duran ranks second on the team with a .291 batting average and a .434 slugging percentage … Braden Benton leads the team with 29 walks and is second with a .412 on-base percentage … Duran's six-RBI performance against A&M-Corpus Christi in Game 3 marked the second time this season a Cardinal hitter drove in five or more runs in a game, joining Tracy's five-RBI effort against McNeese in Game 3.

HOME RUN TRACKER: LU has hit 18 home runs this season, with 13 coming on the road … Durbin's three-run homer against Kansas on Feb. 18 was the team's first at home … LU has four home runs at home for the season.
 
EXTRA INNINGS: The Cardinals have played in seven extra‑inning games this season, posting a 4-3 record … Six of the seven contests went 10 innings … LU has recorded two walk-off wins this season, coming against Tarleton State and in Game 3 versus UT Rio Grande Valley … LU's lone 10-run rule win of the season was during Game 3 at Nicholls.

ACE OF THE STAFF: Chris Olivier is 4-2 with a 2.06 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 52.1 innings this season … He has posted double-digit strikeouts in three of five home starts, compiling 47 strikeouts and allowing just four earned runs at home … Olivier ranks in the top 25 nationally in strikeouts (tied for 25th) … He is a three-time Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week and was named Dick Howser Trophy National Player of the Week, with additional recognition from D1Baseball.com, 64 Analytics and Baseball America.

SOLID FRESHMAN: Jarret Williams has posted a 2.94 ERA in eight starts and nine appearances with 31 strikeouts in 33.2 innings pitched … He did not allow an earned run in his first five collegiate outings … Williams was named a first team midseason freshman All-American by Perfect Game.

PITCHING HIGHLIGHTS: Fabian Ramirez has only allowed two earned runs in 13 appearances while sporting a 1.20 ERA in 15 innings pitched with 12 strikeouts … Travis Lutz ranks third on the team with 30 strikeouts in 22.1 innings pitched with a 2.42 ERA … Ethan Oceguera has only allowed four earned runs in his last seven appearances while sporting a 3-1 record in 15.2 innings with a 4.02 ERA … The Cardinals pitching staff has also recorded two combined one-hitters this season — against UTRGV in Game 2 and Louisiana Tech — marking the program's first multiple combined one-hitters in a single season since 2013.  
LU vs. Northwestern State: The Cardinals are 72-62 all-time against the Demons since 1953 … The Demons took the series in 2025, winning two out of three in Natchitoches, La. … LU's last series win over Northwestern State came in 2024 while the last series sweep at home was in 2009.

• Northwestern State (23-14, 14-7)
• Southeastern (23-15, 12-6)
• SFA (22-17, 11-7)
• Lamar (19-18, 11-7)
• Nicholls (18-19, 10-10)
• McNeese (20-17, 9-9)
• UTRGV (16-20, 10-11)
• Houston Christian (16-20, 8-10)
• UIW (17-20, 8-13)
• New Orleans (16-23, 6-12)
• A&M-Corpus Christi (16-20, 5-12)

CATCHING UP: Northwestern State looks to rebound after dropping four of its last six games, including a 4-2 loss to LSU on Tuesday and a home series loss to Houston Christian last weekend.

RECAPPING 2025: The Demons finished 35-21 overall and 19-11 in conference play … Northwestern State was a win away from landing in the Hammond, La. bracket championship game of the conference tournament, but it was ousted by New Orleans.

WHO TO WATCH: Junior outfielder Brooks Leonard leads the offense with 53 hits and a .368 batting average … Leonard recently saw a 21-game hitting streak come to an end against LSU on Tuesday … Senior utility player Thomas Marsala III ranks first on the team with nine home runs and 36 RBIs … Junior righthander Dylan Marionneaux owns a 4-2 record with a 4.24 ERA, striking out 55 batters in 57.1 innings pitched … Marionneaux recorded a season-high 11 strikeouts in a complete-game effort against Houston Christian on Saturday.