Lamar sports information

BEAUMONT — The Lamar softball team opens the 2019 season this weekend when they participate in the Scrap Yard Tournament hosted by Scrap Yard Sports. The Cards will play six games from Friday to Sunday.

The tournament will be played at the Scrap Yard Dawgs Facility, 29607 Robinson Road in Conroe. Day Pass can be bought for $13 at the gate, or you can buy a weekend pass for $35. Games will not be live streamed. For more information on Scrap Yard Sports, click here.

The complete schedule for the Cardinals can be seen below:
Friday: LU vs. Wisconsin, 11:30 a.m.; LU vs. Nebraska, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday: LU vs. Omaha, 9 a.m.; LU vs. Nebraska, 11:30 a.m.
Sunday: LU vs. Texas Tech, 11 a.m.; LU vs. Wisconsin, 1 p.m.

About the Opponents
Wisconsin
During the 2018 season, the Badgers made their second-straight NCAA Tournament and finished the season with a 29-23 record. In the Badgers are receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll and are one of five Big Ten teams to be recognized. This season the Badgers have six newcomers, including five freshmen and one transfer. Caroline Hedgcock is in her first season at Wisconsin after playing two years at Arkansas. The Badgers return Haley Hestekin and Taylor Johnson, both of who earned All-Big Ten honors last season. Hestekin went 17-7 in the circle last season and had an ERA of 2.63. She pitched 164 innings last season with 96 strikeouts. Johnson finished third on the team with a .293 batting average. She had eight home runs and 31 RBIs on the season, while stealing 14 bases.

Nebraska
The Cornhuskers finished the 2018 season with a record of 31-23 and were eliminated from the Big Ten tournament after falling to Michigan State. Prior to playing Lamar in their first game of the tournament, Nebraska will face Japan’s National Team on Thursday night. The Cornhuskers return senior Alyvia Simmons and junior Tristen Edwards, both were All-Big Ten selection. Simmons ranked second on Nebraska last season hitting. 346. Edwards led the team with a batting average of .356 last season. Besides leading the team in batting average, Edwards led the team in runs scored (41), hits (57), home runs (12) and RBIs (43). This season, the Huskers have eight new faces including junior Pacific transfer Samantha Owen.

Omaha
The Mavericks finished the 2018 season fourth in the Summit League with a 20-31 record. This season the Mavericks were picked to finish fifth in the Summit League. Omaha returns senior catcher Natalie Mostek and junior pitcher Sydney Hampton, who both were included on the Summit League’s Players to Watch list. Mostek posted a career-high .261 average with seven home runs, 21 runs scored and nine stolen bases. Hampton appeared in 35 games making 25 starts as a freshman last season. She finished the season with an 11-13 record and posted a 3.74 ERA with 75 strikeouts. Omaha is led by first-year head coach Amanda Eberhart and the Mavericks return 12 letter winners from the 2018 squad.

Texas Tech
The Red Raiders concluded the 2018 season with a 31-28 record and finished fifth in the Big 12. Leading the Red Raiders in 2019 is All-American Jessica Hartwell. The senior set a school record with 20 home runs in 2018 and is one of eight starters returning from last year’s team. Also returning is Erin Edmoundson. The sophomore finished her freshman campaign with a record of 17-12 and an ERA of 2.97. Texas Tech has nine new players to the roster this season, three of which are Division I transfers and six freshmen.

What’s Next
Following the Scrap Yard Tournament, the Cards travel to Fort Myers, Florida, to participate in the FGCU Invitational. LU will open play with an exhibition contest against the Japanese National team, on Thursday night. Following the contest, Lamar plays five games over Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The games will be played at the FGCU Softball Complex.