BEAUMONT, Texas — Set to open their 2023 season, Lamar University’s softball team will have their first tournament of the year when they travel down to Houston for five games of the University of Houston Invitational. LU will have two games with both Virginia and Nebraska while they will have one with the host team.
For this year, The Cardinals will have 40 games on the road and only 14 at home. They will be making their return to the Southland Conference after spending the past season in the Western Athletic Conference. The 2022 Cardinals won 11 games, including five in the conference and qualified for the conference tournament. In their reunion with the SLC, they were predicted to finish in sixth place. This year’s Cardinals’ squad returns 14 members from the 2022 team and adds eight newcomers.
Last season at the Houston Tournament, the Cardinals went 2-3 opening the tournament with wins over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (5-3) and UH (6-5). Against AMCC, the Cardinals needed five six inning runs to come back including RBI knocks from Audry Fleming and Hayley Freudenberg. They then picked up a 6-5 extra-inning victory over the Cougars.
OPPONENT INFO: Virginia
Series Record: 0-0 (First & Second Meetings)
Last Meeting: First & Second Meetings
LU will open the season against the Cavaliers of UVA, a team that went 28-26 last year and reached the National Invitational Championship. Sophomore Sarah Coon led the Cavs with a .291 batting average and was second with 44 hits, including eight homers while Katie Goldberg drove in a team-high 38 RBI on 46 hits and tied for first with 12 homers. Mikayla Houge recorded nine wins in the circle striking out 45 batters and posted a 3.73 ERA.
OPPONENT INFO: HOUSTON
Series Record: 5-11 (17th Meeting)
The 2022 Cougars put together a 27-27-1 record and reached the second round of the American Conference Championship. Amanda Carden led UH’s offense with 46 hits while driving in 16 RBI and scoring 20 runs while Kati Ray Brown is the only double-digit home run hitter (10 HR) to return to UH. On the base paths, Paige Hulsey and Ja’Naiya Thomas each recorded 13 stolen bases last year. Kenna Wilkey will look to be the ace of the Cougar pitching staff after winning nine games posting a 3.78 ERA and striking out 111 batters.
Last Meeting: W 6-5 (Feb. 25, 2022)
Last season, Brooke Davis drove in the winning run in the 6-5 eighth inning win on a double. Aaliyah Ruiz would earn a save against AMCC with two strikeouts and pitched the entire extra-inning affair with UH to record the win.
OPPONENT INFO: NEBRASKA
Series Record: 1-3 (Fifth & Sixth Meetings)
Compiling a 41-16 record in 2022, which included an appearance in the NCAA Regionals, the Cornhuskers are led by Billie Andrews, who was named All Big-Ten and All-Region after finishing as the team’s leader in runs (54), home runs (20) and RBIs (51). Mya Felder tied for second in hits (60), but finished as the batting leader with a .373 average including 37 RBI. Pitcher Courtney Wallace won 17 games in the circle and posted a 3.12 ERA while striking out 100 batters.
Last Meeting: L 4-6 (Feb. 9, 2019)
LU’s only win against the Cornhuskers was a 10-9 walk-off thriller on March 5, 2017. Their last meeting came on Feb. 9, 2019.
UP NEXT
The Cardinals will hit the road to Austin for a one game showdown with the University of Texas. The first pitch will take place at 6:30 p.m.