BEAUMONT, Texas — Lamar University continues its road trip as it returns to conference play for a three-game series against New Orleans beginning Friday.

The Cardinals hold a one-game lead over Southeastern Louisiana atop the Southland Conference standings with just three conference series remaining.
ACE OF THE STAFF: Chris Olivier is 5-2 with a 1.76 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 61.1 innings this season … He has posted double-digit strikeouts in four of six home starts, compiling 58 strikeouts and allowing just four earned runs at home … Olivier ranks in the top 25 nationally in strikeouts (tied for 16th) and ERA (13th) … Olivier's ERA currently ranks as the sixth lowest in a single season in program history.

NATION'S BEST PITCHER: Olivier is a four-time Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week and was recently named a semifinalist for the College Baseball Foundation's National Pitcher of the Year Award … Olivier, a Dick Howser National Player of the Week honoree on Feb. 17, has also earned national recognition from Perfect Game, D1Baseball.com, 6-4 Analytics and Baseball America.

KEEPING TABS ON TAB: Tab Tracy leads the offense with a .338 average, 54 hits, 440 on-base percentage, 15 multi-hit games and 18 stolen bases.

OFFENSIVE LEADER: Beau Durbin leads the way with 173 at-bats, 31 runs, 11 doubles, four home runs, 29 RBIs, seven multi-RBI games and a .434 slugging percentage … Durbin is riding a nine-game hitting streak and a 10-game on-base streak, tallying four doubles and seven RBIs during the nine-game stretch.

BEST DEFENSIVE SHORTSTOP: According to 6-4-3 Charts, A.J. Taylor ranks as the third-best shortstop nationally based on defensive runs saved … Taylor also ranks second on the team with nine stolen bases and 14 multi-hit games while placing third with 27 hits and a .280 batting average.

OFFENSIVE HIGHLIGHTS: Kevin Duran ranks second on the team with 23 RBIs and fourth with a .414 slugging percentage … Lane Sparks ranks first with triples and third with a .415 slugging percentage and eight stolen bases.

SOLID FRESHMAN: Jarret Williams has posted a 2.79 ERA in nine starts and 10 appearances in 38.2 innings pitched while ranking second on the staff with 39 strikeouts … He did not allow an earned run in his first five collegiate outings … Williams was named a 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 37 strikeouts in 29.1 innings pitched with a 2.45 ERA … Lutz earned a spot on D1baseball.com's Top 100 Pitchers list last week … Lutz has 16 strikeouts in his last two appearances … The LU pitching staff combined for 42 strikeouts during the series against Northwestern State, marking the first time the staff recorded 40 or more strikeouts in a three-game set since hosting Binghamton in 2022 … 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.

EXTRA INNINGS: The Cardinals have played in eight extra‑inning games this season, posting a 5-3 record … Six of the seven contests went 10 innings … LU has recorded three walk-off wins this season … LU's lone 10-run rule win of the season was during Game 3 at Nicholls.

HOME RUNS: LU has hit 20 home runs this season, with 13 coming on the road … LU has six home runs at home for the season.

MIDWEEKS: After going 13-3 in midweek contests in 2025, the Cardinals are 4-7 in midweek play this season with two games remaining on the road against Rice and Sam Houston … LU's 4-1 win over now No. 16 Kansas marked the program's first victory against a Big 12 opponent since 2023.

• Lamar (22-19, 14-7)
• Southeastern Louisiana (25-17, 13-8)
• Northwestern State (23-18, 14-10)
• Nicholls (22-19, 14-10)
• Stephen F. Austin (22-20, 11-10)
• UT Rio Grande Valley (18-23, 12-12)
• Houston Christian (18-21, 10-11)
• McNeese (22-19, 10-11)
• Incarnate Word (18-20, 8-13)
• A&M-Corpus Christi (18-22, 7-14)
• New Orleans (17-25, 7-15)

LU vs. New Orleans: The Cardinals are 58-60 all-time against the Privateers dating back to the first meeting in 1971 … LU has won four of the last six matchups against New Orleans, with the program's last sweep in New Orleans coming in 2015.
CATCHING UP: New Orleans enters the game with a 17-26 overall record and a 7-14 mark in conference play … The Privateers fell 10-7 to LSU on Tuesday and dropped a series two games to three at Houston Christian this past weekend … New Orleans is 10-8 at home this season, highlighted by a series win over McNeese, two games to three.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Junior outfielder Dylan Biddick leads the offense with a .333 batting average, 52 hits, a .571 slugging percentage and a .480 on-base percentage … Biddick has gone 6 for 11 over his last two games with a double, a home run and seven RBIs … Senior Kruise Newman leads the team with 10 home runs and 35 RBIs … On the mound, freshman righthander William Andrade leads the staff with 42 strikeouts across 11 appearances and nine starts while junior lefthander Riley Marcotte paces the team with 44.2 innings pitched and owns a 4.23 ERA with 29 strikeouts.