BEAUMONT, Texas – Coming off the best season in program history in 2022, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies are set to begin their 2023 campaign with three games with the Lamar Cardinals at Vincent-Beck Stadium from Friday-Sunday, February 17-19.

Friday's action will begin at 7 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and the Sunday finale at 2 p.m. and all three contests will air live on ESPN+ (subscription required).

Winning a school-record 31 games and advancing to the championship series of the conference tournament for the first time a year ago, Oakland was picked second in the 2023 Horizon League Preseason Poll, behind only the defending champion Wright State Raiders.

Returning to the Southland Conference after a one-year stay in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) that saw them go 37-21 (20-10) and finish second in the Southwest Division, Lamar checked-in third in their preseason poll, trailing the Southeastern Louisiana Lions and McNeese State Cowboys.

PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
Here are the listed starting pitchers for each game, included with their 2022 statistics.

Friday
Oakland – Senior LHP Travis Densmore: 15 games (11 starts), 5-3, 6.32 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, .321 BAA, 62.2 IP, 22 BB, 58 SO

Lamar – Junior RHP Brooks Caple (with the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks): 21 games (1 start), 0-4, 6.14 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, .209 BAA, 29.1 IP, 18 BB, 43 SO

Saturday
Oakland – Redshirt senior RHP Brett Hagen: 16 games (9 starts), 4-3, 6.78 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, .289 BAA, 65 IP, 20 BB, 44 SO

Lamar – Junior LHP Jacob Ellis: 22 games (3 starts), 2-2, 5.19 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, .286 BAA, 26 IP, 12 BB, 19 SO

Sunday
Oakland – Redshirt senior RHP Bryce Konitzer: 5 games (3 starts), 1-1, 3.50 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, .310 BAA, 18 IP, 5 BB, 15 SO

Lamar – Redshirt sophomore RHP Patrick Hail

GOLDEN GRIZZLIES RUNDOWN
Second in the Horizon League with a .282 team batting average and racking up 112 stolen bases, 42 more than any other school in the conference, Oakland fielded a potent offensive attack in 2022.

All-Horizon League second baseman Brad Goulet and right fielder Brenton Phillips have graduated, but the Golden Grizzlies return Freshman of the Year third baseman Brandon Nigh and the versatile Jared Miller, both All-Conference selections last season, as well as outfielder Ian Cleary, shortstop Thomas Green, catcher Brandon Heidal, first baseman Gabe Lux and corner infielder Luke Malmanger.

Mesa, Arizona's Densmore emerged to become one of the Horizon League's better starting pitchers over the second half of last season, finishing tied for the team lead with five wins, and Konitzer is back to health after undergoing Tommy John surgery early last year.

Out of the bullpen, junior righty Brandon Decker paced Oakland with four saves a season ago and sophomore right-hander Hunter Pidek and graduate student lefty Christian Stelling both handled plenty of late-inning situations.

Junior Noah Stants, a right-handed Davison native and Jackson College Jets transfer, is another name to monitor for a key relief role.

SCOUTING THE CARDINALS
Posting their highest win total in nine years in 2022, Lamar head coach Will Davis earned a contract extension through the 2025 season.

Davis and his coaching staff are tasked with replacing First Team All-WAC closer Jack Dallas, the Cardinals' all-time saves leader with 28, and a pair of Second Team honorees in left fielder Matthew McDonald and right-hander Adam Wheaton, who led the conference with 10 wins in 14 starts.

Senior designated hitter Josh Blankenship, a Preseason Second Team All-Southland Conference recipient, is the top returning threat in the lineup for Lamar after slashing .340/.439/.505 with 15 doubles, four home runs and a team-leading 53 RBI last season.

Third baseman Ethan Ruiz and catcher Ryan Snell, both fellow seniors, each hit three home runs and drove in at least 27 runs a year ago.

Junior Trhea Morse and seniors Daniel Cole and Landon Odom, all righties, project to be comfortable relief options for Davis, as the trio combined to make 48 appearances out of the bullpen in 2022.