BEAUMONT, Texas — Two of the top teams in the Southland Conference will square off this weekend as Lamar University hosts Southeastern Louisiana for a three-game series.

LU and Southeastern enter the weekend tied for first place in the conference standings.

a { text-decoration: none; color: #464feb; } tr th, tr td { border: 1px solid #e6e6e6; } tr th { background-color: #f5f5f5; } Due to inclement weather Friday, the series will begin Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 1:05 p.m.
KEEPING TABS ON TAB: Based on batting average, Tab Tracy ranks second in the Southland Conference … He leads the team offensively with a .343 batting average, 60 hits, 17 multi-hit games, 19 stolen bases, a .448 on-base percentage and an .848 OPS … Tracy has reached base safely in his last eight games recording 13 hits including three doubles and four RBIs.

OFFENSIVE LEADER: Beau Durbin leads the team with 184 at-bats, 11 doubles, 31 RBIs and eight multi-RBI games … He is riding a 12-game hitting streak and has reached base safely in 13 consecutive games … Over his last 12 contests, Durbin has collected 13 hits, including four doubles while driving in nine runs and scoring seven times.

BEST DEFENSIVE SHORTSTOP: A.J. Taylor leads the team with five home runs, 36 runs scored and a .448 slugging percentage … He is hitting .529 (9 for 17) over his last four games, collecting three doubles, two home runs and six RBIs … According to 6‑4‑3 Charts, Taylor ranks as the third‑best shortstop nationally based on defensive runs saved.

THIS AND THAT: Hector Rodriguez has five hits over his last four games, including a double and five RBIs … He is batting .322 with 39 hits, six doubles, a .421 slugging percentage and 22 RBIs in 32 games this season … Theo Kummer has also been hot, collecting six hits in his last four games, including a double, two home runs and six RBIs … Kevin Duran has reached base safely in his last six games, recording four hits including a double and two RBIs … Braden Benton leads the team with 32 walks.

OFFENSIVE HIGHLIGHTS: Taylor's five-hit game against New Orleans marked the first by a Cardinal since Zak Skinner in 2024 … LU's 20-1 victory in Game 3 at New Orleans was the fourth time since 2024 that the Cardinals have scored 20 or more runs in a game … Earlier this season, Tracy recorded a 20-game on-base streak, marking the 12th time since 2010 that an LU hitter has reached base safely in 20 or more consecutive games.

ACE OF THE STAFF: Chris Olivier is 5-3 with a 2.77 ERA in 11 starts, recording 85 strikeouts over 65 innings while holding opponents to a .186 batting average … He ranks 19th nationally in strikeouts and leads the Southland Conference in ERA while ranking second in opposing batting average, innings pitched and strikeouts … Olivier is 15 strikeouts shy of reaching 100 for the season … Since 2010, only two LU pitchers have reached the 100-strikeout milestone, most recently Brooks Caple with 102 strikeouts in 2024 … Jonathan Dziedzic accomplished the feat twice, striking out 114 batters in 2010 and 106 in 2013.

SOLID FRESHMAN: Jarret Williams ranks second on the team with 43 strikeouts and carries a 2.47 ERA over 11 appearances, including nine starts, across 43.2 innings pitched, while holding opponents to a .190 batting average … He has struck out 12 batters over his last two outings, highlighted by a season‑high eight strikeouts in Game 2 against Northwestern State.

PITCHING HIGHLIGHTS: Travis Lutz ranks third on the staff with 42 strikeouts in 11 appearances and 35.1 innings … Lutz has 21 strikeouts over his last three outings, highlighted by a season-high nine strikeouts during Game 2 against Nicholls … Cooper Carlgren has 18 strikes across his last three outings, including a season-high eight strikeouts during Game 3 against Northwestern State … 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 … The staff has recorded 394 strikeouts, ranking fourth in the Southland.

SENIOR DAY: A total of 24 seniors will be honored on Sunday.

MID-MAJOR RANKINGS: The Cardinals are ranked No. 19 in this week's Diamond Sports Rankings Mid-Major Top 25. 

HOME RUN TRACKER: LU has hit 26 home runs this season, with 19 coming on the road … LU has seven home runs at home for the season.

EXTRA INNINGS: The Cardinals have played in eight extra‑inning games this season, posting a 5-3 record … Six of the eight contests went 10 innings … LU has recorded three walk-off wins this season … LU has recorded two 10‑run rule wins, both coming in Game 3 road contests at Nicholls and New Orleans.

• Southeastern Louisiana (28-18, 16-8)
• Lamar (24-21, 16-8)
• Northwestern State (25-20, 16-11)
• Nicholls (24-20, 14-10)
• UT Rio Grande Valley (21-25, 14-13)
• Stephen F. Austin (24-22, 12-12)
• McNeese (23-22, 11-13)
• Houston Christian (19-24, 10-14)
• A&M-Corpus Christi (22-22, 10-14)
• Incarnate Word (18-24, 8-16)
• New Orleans (18-28, 8-16)

LU vs. Southeastern Louisiana: The Cardinals lead the all-time series 50-44 since the first meeting in 1981 … LU has won seven of the last nine meetings … Southeastern took the series, two games to three, in 2025.
CATCHING UP: The Lions have won four of their last five, including a three-game sweep of Houston Christian where they outscored the opposition 28-4 … Southeastern recently fell to LSU, 12-4, on Tuesday night.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Graduate student outfielder Justin Williams leads the offense with 53 hits … Junior infielder/outfielder Peyton Woods is riding a 28-game on-base streak and leads the team with a .341 batting average … Redshirt senior infielder Alex Perry and senior outfielder Brody Capps are tied for the team lead with 45 RBIs while Perry tops the squad with 14 home runs … Senior outfielder Dane Watts owns a 23-game on-base streak.