STEPHENVILLE - The Tarleton baseball team will welcome No. 16 Incarnate Word Friday and Saturday for a three-game set at Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex.

The Texans (4-1, 2-1) will face their second ranked opponent of the season in the Cardinals (3-2, 3-0).  In the season opener, Tarleton defeated No. 15 St. Mary's down in San Antonio by a score of 9-5.

Looking to win their second series of the year, the Texans have their work cut out for them in UIW.  Tarleton won a three-game set at Southwestern Oklahoma, two games to one.

Tarleton is hitting .273 as a team on the season, while opponents are hitting .274 against the Texans.  The Tarleton pitching staff has combined for a 4.40 ERA through 43 innings of work.

Travis Hayes leads the team with a .538 batting average, followed by Reagan Janda (.385) and Tim Rainey (.313).  Chris Casazza has hit two home runs and driven in six RBI's, while Janda has also homered twice.  Landon McCall has stolen two bases so far to lead Tarleton, who is 9-for-12 in stolen base attempts as a team.

The Texans have a .952 fielding percentage compared to their opponents' .934 mark.

The Cardinals on the other hand are coming off a loss to St. Mary's on Tuesday.  They are hitting .297 as a team and allowing opponents to hit .292 against them.  UIW is led by Matt Roohan's seven RBI's, while Steven Vidaurri leads the team with a .389 average.  The pitching staff for the Cardinals has struggled at times, posting a 5.77 ERA as a team.  They are succeptable to extra-base hits, giving up 17 already this season.

First pitch for Friday's game is set for 2 p.m., while Saturday's double header will begin at 1 p.m.

Be sure to check out TarletonSports.com for live stats, results, and further information regarding the 2011 Texan baseball season.