BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University baseball team will round out its non-conference schedule with a four-game road swing that starts with Rice at Reckling on Wednesday at 5 p.m. and ends with a three-game set at Oklahoma State, staring Friday at 6:30 p.m.
 
The meeting Wednesday will also be the final midweek contest for the Cardinals (26-19) and the second matchup between the Owls (18-26) and Lamar. Rice jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead by the third inning of the first game, but after a RBI single from Trey Silvers in the fifth inning and pinch-hit grand slam from Mike Leal in the sixth the Cardinals had a 6-4 lead.
 
LU put up another four-spot in the eighth inning to gain control of the game. Robin Adames had a two-run single, which was the final straw. Cutter McDowell and Cole Coker each had RBI singles in that frame.
 
Ryan Johnson (2-1, 7.82 earned run average) saw his first action in that matchup, in a line of seven pitchers that the Cardinals put on the hill. His start Wednesday will be Johnson's fifth midweek start on the season, and has both wins in those starts.
 
Rice announced Nick Orewiler (0-2, 9.39) as its starter, and the right hander is a part of a unit that has a 5.12 earned run average over 379 2/3 innings of work.
 
Dominic DiCaprio leads a Rice squad that hits at a .283 clip and scores 5.1 runs per game. DiCaprio has a .359 batting average and leads the way 33 runs batted in and four home runs. Dane Myers had a .354 average with 23 RBI and 31 runs – which is third behind Ford Proctor's 38 runs and Ryan Chandler's 31.
 
Chandler was 3-of-5 with two runs scored in the first meeting, and Proctor and DiCaprio each had one base knock.
 
McDowell continues to hold his lead on the Cardinals in average (.362), runs (45), slugging (.552) and on-base percentage (.472). Adames had a .339 batting mark with 38 RBI and 31 runs scored. Reid Russell is hitting .323 with 40 runs scored and 34 RBI, and Bryndan Arredondo rounds out the .300 hitters with Lamar at .311. Trey Silvers (.297) has the team lead in RBI with 41.
 
McDowell's 21 doubles on the season ranks fourth in the nation and first in the Southland Conference.
 
Once that contest is over, LU will spend its open weekend from league play taking on the Cowboys (23-18), who face Oral Roberts Tuesday evening. As a team, OSU has a .263 batting average and scores 6.1 runs per game. Garrett McCain is hitting a team-best .368 average and has the high of 39 runs scored. Garrett Benge - .303 average – leads the team with 45 runs batted in, and Colin Simpson rounds out the .300 hitters at .301.
 
Tyler Buffett (5-4, 4.79) is the only Cowboy who has been in the weekend rotation the entire season, and he's been the Saturday starter for the last few weeks. Joe Leinhard (2-0, 3.77) started the series openers against Texas and Texas Tech. They are a part of a pitching staff that has a 4.28 ERA across 365 2/3 innings.
 
Oklahoma State also played Southland Conference rival Northwestern State in a weekend series this season, and swept the Demons outscoring them 28-9. LU is scheduled to play its second game with the Cowboys on Saturday at 3 p.m. and the finale will be at 1 p.m. Sunday.
 
Lamar will get back into Southland Conference play on May 12^th when it hosts Stephen F. Austin in the first of LU's last two weekends in the regular season. The Cardinals wrap up the season in the third weekend of May at rival McNeese.