April 2, 2007

Lamar Baseball Game Notes at UL-Lafayette
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BEAUMONT - After posting a three-game sweep of Nicholls State in Southland Conference play over the weekend, Lamar University steps out of conference for a 6:30 p.m. game Tuesday at long-time rival Louisiana-Lafayette at Moore Field.

Lamar is 21-11 overall and 8-1 in SLC play. UL-Lafayette is 23-6 overall and 9-3 in Sun Belt Conference play. The Ragin' Cajuns are ranked 30th in this week's Collegiate Baseball poll. The two teams are schedule to meeting again on April 24 in Beaumont.

Junior Brad Depoy, who is 1-0 with a 7.20 earned run average, is expected to make his first start of the season for the Cardinals. UL-Lafayette will start either John Zorich, who is 3-1 with a 3.89 ERA, or Brent Solich, who is 2-0 with a 4.32 ERA.

Lamar won the only meeting between the two schools last season, 5-4, in Beaumont. The return game in Lafayette was rained out. The two teams split the season series in 2005 with the Cajuns winning 23-3 in Lafayette and the Cardinals winning 3-1 in Beaumont. Lamar holds a 70-59 all-time series advantage.

Junior Collin DeLome was named Aeropostale SLC Hitter of the Week for the second time in three weeks on Monday. In four games last week, he hit .588 (10-for-17) with nine runs scored, a double, two triples, four home runs and 12 runs batted in. He went 3-for-6 with three runs scored, two home runs and five RBI in last Tuesday's loss to Houston.

A native of Buna, DeLome hit .636 (7-for-11) with six runs scored, a double, two triples, two home runs and seven RBI in helping Lamar sweep the three-game series against Nicholls State. He is second on the team in hitting with a .405 average with 46 runs scored, eight doubles, six triples, eight home runs and a team-leading 41 RBI.

Senior Erik Kanaby leads the team in hitting with a .423 average with 40 runs scored, eight doubles and 11 RBI. He has walked 22 times and leads the team and the SLC with a .510 on-base percentage. Junior Michael Ambort is hitting .393 with 28 runs scored, 14 doubles, five home runs and 39 RBI.

Lamar leads the SLC with a .334 team batting average with 243 runs scored (7.59 per game), 375 hits (11.72), 76 doubles (2.38), 11 triples and 28 home runs. The Cardinals have posted double-digit hit totals in 22 of 32 games this season. The pitching staff has a 4.71 team ERA with 240 strikeouts (7.85 per 9.0 IP) and 116 walks in 275.0 innings pitched, and is limiting opponents to a .271 batting average.

Jeffries Tatford leads UL-Lafayette in hitting with a .375 average with 23 runs scored, 10 doubles, four home runs and 18 RBI. Jonathan Lucroy is second with a .349 average with nine doubles, nine home runs and a team-leading 35 RBI. Scott Hawkins is hitting .347 with 29 runs scored, seven doubles, seven home runs and 23 RBI.

UL-Lafayette, who took two of three at Florida International over the weekend, is hitting .316 as a team with 226 runs scored (7.79), 325 hits (11.21), 59 doubles (2.03), 10 triples and 37 home runs. The pitching staff has a 3.45 team ERA with 207 strikeouts and 53 walks in 255.2 innings pitched, and is limiting opponents to a .267 batting average.