Story Links BEAUMONT, Texas – Winning three of their first four games to start the 2025 season, Lamar University (3-1) is gearing up to host the I-10 Border Classic this weekend at the LU Softball Complex. The 23rd-ranked Cardinals will compete in five games, including a non-conference showdown with Nicholls Thursday (6 p.m.), Missouri State […]
Best Start Ever
The Cardinals opened the season with three straight wins, including a doubleheader sweep of UL Monroe (Game 1 – 3-0, Game 2 – 3-2) and a walk-off 4-3 victory over St. John’s in eight innings. Although the Cardinals would fall to No. 1 Texas 13-7, this is the best start for LU since the softball program came back in 2013. LU’s previous best start was last season, when it split their first four games to start 2-2.
Top 25 For the First Time
The Cardinals found themselves ranked 23rd in the first D1Softball.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll of the season. This is the first time in program history LU has landed in the top 25. They placed ahead of 24th-ranked New Mexico State and trail 22nd-ranked Campbell. LU was also one of two Texas teams in the poll along with North Texas (20th), and the is the lone Southland representative.
Cardinal Spotlight – Veronica Harrison
Harrison was tabbed as the Southland Conference Hitter of the Week by batting .545 with five RBIs, one double, and two homers. She recorded four hits in the doubleheader sweep over ULM, including an RBI double in game one and a two-run homer in game two. Harrison also went 2-for-3 against Texas, including a solo homer in the seventh inning.
About the Bears
The Bears went 0-5 in their appearance at the Paradise Classic in Boca Raton, Fla. Kayla Ulrich batted .457 with seven hits, including one double while McKenzie Vaughn (one triple) and Alexis Perales each have the only RBI for MSU. Vaughan also leads the pitching staff in ERA (6.00) in 9.1 innings while Makenzi Swick pitched 10.1 innings and has struck out a team-best four batters.
OPPONENT INFO: Tulsa
Time: Saturday @ 2:30 p.m.
Series Record: Lamar trails, 6-0
Last Meeting: Tulsa 5-4 (2/26/17)
OPPONENT INFO: No. 6 Tennessee
Time: Saturday @ 5 p.m.
Series Record: Lamar trails, 2-0
Last Meeting: UT, 8-0 (3/6/21)
About the Golden Hurricane
Tulsa comes in with a 3-2 record, which includes two wins over Bryant and one over Southland Conference opponent Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Claire Skaggs is hitting .545 with six hits and two RBIs while Annika Dill has seven hits and is one of three players with a home run. Celeste Wood posted a team-high six RBIs in the two games against BU. Pitcher Maura Moore (2.42 ERA) won two games in the circle and recorded 18 strikeouts.
#PeckEmCards
OPPONENT INFO: Nicholls
Time: Thursday @ 6 PM
Series Record: Lamar trails, 17-16
Last Meeting: Nicholls 5-4 (5/8/24)
OPPONENT INFO: Missouri State
Time: Friday @ 6 PM/Sunday @ 1 PM
Series Record: Lamar trails, 1-0
Last Meeting: MSU 1-0 (2/16/18)
The Lady Vols rebounded from a season-opening loss to Nebraska by winning their next five games at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Fla. Morgan Saviya leads UT with a .545 batting average while Gibson McKenna tops her team in hits (seven) and RBI (eight). The pitching staff has combined to post a 1.03 ERA with 48 strikeouts in the circle.
About the Colonels
In its first four games of the season, Nicholls swept Alabama State, 5-2 and 12-6 while losing to North Alabama, 5-3 and 14-3. Riley Rutherford (.462, two RBIs) and Erin Krause (.400, three RBIs) both hit over .400 for the weekend, which included six hits and scoring four runs each. Pitchers Molly Yoo (2.63 ERA) and Averi Paden (4.04 ERA) both won a game for the Colonels in the circle. Nicholls ended LU’s season last year with a walk-off 5-4 victory in eight innings.
