BEAUMONT, Texas — For the first time since 2006, Lamar University will host a portion of the Southland Conference baseball tournament.

The Cardinals, the tournament's No. 2 seed, will host bracket play featuring No. 3 UT Rio Grande Valley, No. 6 Northwestern State and No. 7 Stephen F. Austin from Thursday through Sunday at Vincent-Beck Stadium.

LU opens tournament play against SFA at 6 p.m. Thursday.
POSTSEASON PLAY: The Cardinals are 36-36 all-time in Southland Conference tournament play since 1967 … LU last won its opening game at the Southland Conference tournament in 2010, when the program captured its most recent tournament title … The Cardinals are 54-50 all-time in conference tournament play … LU has won five conference tournament titles in program history, including three Southland Conference tournament championships (2010, 2004, 2002) and two Sun Belt tournament titles (1995, 1993) … The Cardinals have hosted the Southland Conference tournament four times (2006, 2002, 2001, 1967).

BEST DEFENSIVE SHORTSTOP: A.J. Taylor leads the team with six home runs and is tied for second with 60 hits and 18 multi-hit games … He also ranks second on the team in doubles (10), stolen bases (10), RBIs (28), runs scored (38) and slugging percentage (.443) … Taylor ranks third nationally among shortstops in defensive runs saved, according to 6-4-3 Charts.

OFFENSIVE LEADER: Beau Durbin leads the Cardinals with 16 doubles, 38 RBIs, 41 runs scored, 95 total bases, 11 multi-RBI games and a .446 slugging percentage while he is tied for second in hits (60) … He is currently on a five-game hitting streak with five doubles, one home run and six RBIs during the span.

KEEPING TABS ON TAB: Tab Tracy leads the way with 64 hits, a .335 average, 20 stolen bases and a .439 on-base percentage.

TOP 10 PLAY: For the first time since 2023, an LU baseball player earned a spot on ESPN's SportsCenter Top 10 plays reel … Brayden Evans checked in at No. 3 after robbing a home run Saturday in Game 2 against Houston Christian … Kirkland Banks was the last Cardinal to make the list, also ranking No. 3.

THIS AND THAT: Evans has reached base in eight consecutive games and carries a four-game hitting streak … Braden Benton leads the team with 37 walks … Cade Pregeant homered twice and drove in five runs in Game 3 at Houston Christian, becoming the second LU player this season to hit two home runs in a game, joining Durbin (Game 2 at A&M-Corpus Christi) … Theo Kummer has reached base safely in six consecutive games and has driven in four runs during that span … Jake Wagoner is on a three-game hitting streak going 5 for 9 (.556) with two doubles, a triple and three RBIs.

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 … Durbin became the first Cardinal hitter to hit three doubles in a game during Game 3 against Southeastern Louisiana since Kirkland Banks in 2022.

HOME RUN TRACKER: LU has hit 36 home runs, with 28 coming on the road … LU has eight home runs at home for the season … The Cardinals hit four home runs against Sam Houston, marking the fifth time since 2022 the program has hit four or more home runs in a game.

EXTRA INNINGS: The Cardinals have played in nine extra-inning games this season, posting a 6-3 record … Six of the nine contests went 10 innings.

WALK IT OFF: LU has recorded three walk-off wins this season: a single by Durbin in Game 3 against UTRGV, a two-run home run by Evans against Tarleton State and a walk-off wild pitch in Game 3 against Northwestern State.

RUN-RULE: The Cardinals have also recorded two 10-run rule wins, both coming in Game 3 road contests at Nicholls and New Orleans.

HOME SWEET HOME: LU finished the regular season with a 16-11 mark at home, compiling a 67-17 record at Vincent-Beck Stadium over the past three seasons.

ATTENDANCE: LU ranks fourth in the Southland Conference in attendance, drawing 27,579 fans this season for an average of 1,021 per game.

ACE OF THE STAFF: Chris Olivier leads the Southland Conference in ERA (2.92) and opposing batting average (.185) while he is second in innings pitched (74) and strikeouts (92) … Olivier is a four-time Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week and College Baseball Foundation National Pitcher of the Year semifinalist … Olivier's complete-game win in Game 1 against Northwestern State marked LU's first complete-game shutout since Trevin Michael in 2021 … Olivier's 14 strikeouts against Oakland are tied for the third most in a single game in program history, matching Will Hibbs' total in 2016 … He is eight strikeouts shy of 100 for the season … Since 2010, only two LU pitchers have reached the 100‑strikeout milestone: Brooks Caple, who finished with 102 in 2024, and Jonathan Dziedzic, who accomplished the feat twice with 114 strikeouts in 2010 and 106 in 2013.

STRIKEOUTS: The LU pitching staff has recorded 448 strikeouts this season, ranking seventh in program history and surpassing the previous mark of 443 set in 2002.

PITCHING HIGHLIGHTS: Travis Lutz ranks second on the staff with 50 strikeouts and is 3-1 with a staff-best 2.18 ERA over 45.1 innings in 13 appearances … Ethan Oceguera is 4-1 in 18 appearances while Fabian Ramirez owns a 2.76 ERA in 14 outings … Cooper Carlgren ranks third on the staff with 46 strikeouts, including 28 over his last five outings … Jarret Williams, a midseason first team Perfect Game Freshman All-American, is fourth on the staff with 44 strikeouts … The LU pitching staff has 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.

TAKING ON THE TOP 25: The Cardinals have played five teams that are or were ranked in the top 25, including No. 6 Texas, No. 7 Oregon State, No. 10 Texas A&M, No. 14 Kansas and TCU … The last time LU played three or more ranked opponents in a season was in 2016.

MIDWEEK CONTESTS: LU finishes the season going 5-8 in midweek contests, highlighted by a 4-1 victory over Big 12 opponent and now No. 14 Kansas.

• **Southeastern Louisiana (31-19, 19-9)
• *Lamar (28-24, 19-11)
• *UTRGV (26-27, 17-13)
• *Nicholls (25-24, 15-13)
• *McNeese (28-23, 16-14)
• *Northwestern State (25-24, 16-14)
• *SFA (27-25, 15-15)
• *HCU (23-27, 13-17)
• New Orleans (24-30, 13-17)
• A&M-Corpus Christi (23-28, 11-19)
• Incarnate Word (19-29, 9-21)

(** — Regular season champion; * — Qualified for conference tournament) LU vs. SFA: The Cardinals are 81-31 all-time against SFA since 1979, with LU winning three of the last five meetings … SFA won the series taking two games out of three in Nacogdoches back in early March.
SCHEDULE OUTLOOK: SFA opened the season 7-2, with six of those seven wins coming against Southwestern Athletic Conference opponents — Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Mississippi Valley State — including a victory over NAIA member Huston-Tillotson … The Jacks won six Southland Conference series taking two out of three each time… The Jacks are 5-3 in their last eight games, including a series win over UIW on the road … SFA went 6-5 in midweek contests, including three wins over SWAC opponents.

OFFENSIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH:

• Senior infielder Julian Swift: Leads the offense with a .329 average, 70 hits, 53 RBIs and a .493 slugging percentage while he's tied for the team lead with 12 doubles.
• Senior infielder Josh Ibe: Leads the team with six home runs.
• Junior catcher Jhett Creel: Leads the offense with a .455 on-base percentage while he has a .304 average with 52 hits and 26 RBIs.

PITCHERS TO WATCH:

• Senior lefthander Cody Templeton: Leads the staff with a 5-1 record and 67 strikeouts in 68.1 innings pitched with a 4.74 ERA in 13 starts.
• Senior lefthander Jack James: Leads the staff with a 2.23 ERA in 17 appearances with a 2-1 record and 29 strikeouts in 32.1 innings of work.
• Junior righthander Dylan Mulcahy: Ranks second on the staff with 61 strikeouts in 12 appearances.

VAQUEROS AT A GLANCE: The Vaqueros sport the second-best RPI in the Southland Conference, checking in at 89 behind Southeastern Louisiana (72) … UTRGV is 6-4 in its last 10 games, including an upset of No. 6 Oregon State on the road and a series sweep of UIW.

OFFENSIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH:

• Redshirt senior infielder Thomas Williams: Tied for the team lead with 67 hits … Leads the offense with a .319 average.
• Redshirt junior infielder Armani Raygoza: Leads the offense with 17 home runs, 51 runs scored, a .457 on-base percentage and a .623 slugging percentage … Tied for the team lead in RBIs with 49.
• Redshirt junior outfielder Rocco Garza Gongora: Tied for the team lead in hits with 67 … Batting .306 with a team best 19 doubles and 16 stolen bases.
• Junior catcher/first baseman Julius Ramirez: Tied for the team lead with 49 RBIs while he ranks second with 11 home runs.

PITCHERS TO WATCH:

• Righthander and grad student Sergio Lopez: Leads the staff with 70 strikeouts and 59.1 innings pitched in 12 starts.
• Sophomore righthander Harrison Thayer: Sports a 6-3 record in 14 appearances and seven starts with 45 strikeouts and a 5.30 ERA in 56 innings of work.
• Redshirt senior righthander Kike Cienfuegos: Sports a 7-2 record in 13 appearances with a 4.05 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 46.2 innings pitched.

DEMONS AT A GLANCE: Northwestern State enters the postseason on a six-game losing streak after ending the regular season being swept by McNeese on the road … The Demons are 2-8 in their last 10 games.

OFFENSIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH:

• Senior utility player Thomas Marsala III: Leads the offense with 62 hits, 11 home runs, 41 RBIs a .515 slugging percentage.
• Junior outfielder Brooks Leonard: Batting .319 with 61 hits, six doubles and 20 RBIs … Leads the team with a .422 on-base percentage.

PITCHERS TO WATCH:

• Junior righthander Dylan Marionneaux: Leads the staff with 74 strikeouts in 80.2 innings pitched with a 4-2 record and 3.24 ERA in 13 starts.
• Redshirt senior righthander Trent Hillen: Ranks second with 60 strikeouts in 59 innings pitched.