After winning the 2024 Southland Conference regular-season championship, the Lamar University baseball team is ready to hit the field and knock it out of the ballpark for 2025.
The Cardinals start their season, Feb. 14, in Bakersfield, California for a three-game series against California State University, Bakersfield. LU won't play a home game until Feb. 18 when they will face off against North Dakota State at 6 p.m. at Vincent-Beck Stadium.
Lamar head coach Will Davis said the team is excited to compete again.
“We were able to come back, by NCAA rules, January 15th, so, we've been going at it since January 15th and doing a lot of scrimmaging and a lot of practice,” he said.
Last season, Lamar topped the SLC standings going 17-7 and 44-15 overall. Despite winning the regular-season award, the Cardinals couldn't pull through in the SLC tournament, losing in the semifinal against McNeese State.
Davis said keeping the team focused will be his biggest challenge this season.
“I think just keeping the guys with that edge,” Davis said. “I think sometimes success breeds its own challenges. Trying to make sure that the guys stay focused on what's important is going to be key for us.”
The Cardinals topped the 2025 Southland Conference preseason poll after receiving 18 first-place votes.
The Cards also had four players named to preseason All-SLC teams. Catcher Zak Skinner, first baseman Brayden Evans and pitcher Kyle Moseley were named to the first team, while third baseman Matt Ryan was selected to the second team. Skinner and Evans were both named second team All-SLC last spring.
“Having Zach Skinner and Brayden Evans back gives us two middle-of-the-order hitters so our top of the order will be our strength going in,” Davis said.
During the offseason, LU lost Brooks Caple, the Southland pitcher of the year, to the MLB draft where he was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the ninth round with the 272nd overall pick. Caple became the 99th Cardinal to be drafted in the MLB and the eighth Cardinal to be picked by the Cubs since Scott Meyer in 2007.
Lamar adds 27 players to this season’s roster — 17 four-year transfers and 10 JUCO transfers. Players hailing from schools such as Texas A&M, UTSA and Houston Christian will be wearing the white and red this season.
“ We have a lot of depth,” Davis said. ”The way we recruit with the transfer portal lends itself to providing quite a bit of depth, just because most of our players are experienced. We don't have a lot of freshmen so it's not really something where you have to wait till somebody's ready. We have a lot of guys that are ready to play.”
In addition to adding new players, Lamar also acquired a new pitching coach in Sean McGrath. He joins the Cardinals after spending the last two seasons with the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Davis also signed a four-year extension with the Cardinals. He is the school’s second all-time winningest coach.
After winning their first regular season championship in 20 years, the Cardinals are hungry for another one. Not only that, now they want the SLC tournament and an appearance in the NCAA tournament as well.
“ I think once you win a championship, it's hard not to want to win it again,” Davis said. “So, that's our first goal. And then to be in the NCAA tournament. Obviously, we were snubbed last year. So making sure that we get in — whether it be winning the conference tournament or winning enough games to get in.
“Obviously, 44 wasn't enough last year, so we're gonna try to win 47.”
