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Lamar Heads To Northwestern State For Big Weekend
May 8, 2008
• Lamar at NW State Game Notes in PDF Format P> The two winningest active programs in Southland Conference history will meet in one of the biggest series of the year this weekend when Lamar faces Northwestern State in a 3-game set at Brown-Stroud Field in Natchitoches, La. Lamar (28-19, 16-8 Southland) has won seven of eight SLC series this season and holds a 1.5 game lead over NSU with six contests remaining. The Cardinals will be facing a team that has given them problems in the past. Lamar leads the all-time series 42-32, but is just 9-20 since rejoining the SLC in 1999. The Cards have not won a series in Natchitoches since 1997 when they swept a pair of midweek games. The weekend could also see Lamar head coach Jim Gilligan move closer towards recording his 1,100th-career coaching victory. He enters Friday's game with a 1,097-681-7 mark in his 32nd overall season. He currently ranks ninth in victories among active Division I head coaches and 25th all-time in Division I. All but 10 of his victories have come at his alma mater. Lamar's rotation is expected to begin with a pair of left-handers in senior Brian Sisk (8-2, 3.55) on Friday, and junior Justin Walker (1-2, 5.33) on Saturday. The Cardinals are hitting .280 as a team and are led by first baseman Steven Tucker's .352 average. Right fielder Tyler Link has a career-best seven-game hitting streak and is hitting .469 during the stretch - with four multi-hit games - and .337 overall. Northwestern State (24-23, 14-9 SLC) was swept at Sam Houston last weekend and had lost four-straight before bouncing back with a 7-1 win over Louisiana Tech on Wednesday. The Demons are hitting .286 overall and are swinging the bats better in the three weeks than at any other point in the season. In its last 15 games NSU has posted at least 10 hits 11 times and has 33 extra-base hits. NSU will use its regular rotation of right-handers Jimmy Heard (6-3, 3.33 ERA), Heath Hennigan (3-3, 4.12), and Clayton Cooper (5-3, 3.97). Both pitching staffs have performed well this season and rank in the top five in the league in ERA and strikeouts. Additionally, NSU ranks first in the SLC in fewest walks per nine innings at 3.07, followed by Lamar at 3.31. Lamar and NSU have combined to win five of the last seven SLC regular-season titles and made four regional appearances in the last six years. UTSA currently leads Lamar by two games for the 2008 regular-season crown. Friday's first pitch is set for 6:30 p.m., with Saturday and Sunday scheduled to get underway at 2 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively.
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