April 20, 2006

Lamar Baseball Game Notes vs. UL-Monroe
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BEAUMONT - Lamar University, who has won nine of its last 10 games, hosts Louisiana-Monroe in a three-game Southland Conference series this weekend beginning with Friday's 6:30 p.m. game at Vincent-Beck Stadium.

Lamar is 28-12 overall and 15-3 in SLC play. The Cardinals hold a three-game lead over Texas-Arlington in the league standings. Lamar has won 12 of its last 13 SLC games. UL-Monroe is 11-25 overall and 6-7 in SLC play. The Indians are in seventh place in the league standings, three games behind Sam Houston State for sixth place.

The first 500 fans through the turnstiles will receive a baseball clapper courtesy of weekend sponsor ExxonMobil. The first 500 fans at Saturday's game will receive a souvenir root-n-toot and the first 500 fans Sunday will receive a souvenir maraca.

Junior Steve Macfarland, who is 6-2 with a 3.23 earned run average, is expected to start for the Cardinals. He has 83 strikeouts and 33 walks in 64 innings pitched, and is limiting opponents to a .197 batting average. James Stephens, who is 5-1 with a 3.27 ERA, is ULM's probable starter and is the reigning SLC pitcher of the week.

Lamar holds a 30-16 all-times series advantage against ULM. The Cardinals took two of three from the Indians last season in Monroe by scores of 2-5, 10-5 and 2-0. Lamar took two of three from ULM during the 2004 season by scores of 4-3, 1-5 and 7-6, which was the last time the two teams met in Beaumont.

Junior Dan Hernandez leads the team in hitting with a .369 average, which ranks third in the SLC. He has 35 runs scored, eight doubles, seven home runs and 26 RBI. He leads the team with a .631 slugging percentage and a .471 on-base percentage.

Junior Erik Kanaby is second on the team with a .353 average with 36 runs scored, five doubles and 13 RBI, and leads the team with 11 stolen bases. Junior Ryan Baker is hitting .348 with 29 runs scored, six doubles and 21 RBI. He leads the team and ranks second in the SLC with 56 hits.

Senior Will Henderson is tied for the SLC-lead in home runs with 10 and is tied with teammate C.J. Ebarb for second in the SLC with 43 RBI. Ebarb leads the SLC with 15 doubles, which ranks 45th in the NCAA (0.39). Sophomore Collin Delome leads the SLC with 39 runs scored and is tied for second with four triples.

Lamar leads the SLC with a .312 team batting average with 282 runs scored (7.05 per game), 441 hits (11.03), 74 doubles (1.85), 11 triples and 38 home runs (0.95). The pitching staff leads the SLC with a 3.45 team ERA, which ranks 26th in the NCAA, with 359 strikeouts and 140 walks in 351.1 innings pitched, and is limiting opponents to a .232 batting average. The Cardinals have a .964 fielding percentage (4th in SLC).

Ben Soignier leads ULM in hitting with a .364 average with 30 runs scored, eight doubles, five home runs and 26 RBI. Josh Morrison and Andy Jones are both hitting .336. Morrison has 21 runs scored, 10 doubles, five home runs and 22 RBI. Jones has 25 runs scored, 10 doubles and 20 RBI.

ULM is hitting .274 as a team (5th in SLC) with 206 runs scored (5.72), 340 hits (9.44), 75 doubles (2.08), six triples and 27 home runs. The pitching staff has a 6.63 team ERA (11th in SLC) with 232 strikeouts and 165 walks in 309.1 innings pitched, and opponents are hitting .323. The Indians have a .956 fielding percentage (8th in SLC).