Rice can only hope the past six games are a harbinger of what's to come this weekend when it opens defense of its 2006-07 Conference USA title at Marshall.

The 15th-ranked Owls continued their torrid hitting with a 17-6 bludgeoning of Louisiana-Lafayette on Wednesday night at Reckling Park, setting the stage for more fireworks at appropriately named Appalachian Power Park in Charleston, W. Va.

Rice (14-6) reached double figures in runs for the fourth time in six games by hitting 10-for-18 (.556) with runners in scoring position.

The Owls are averaging 10.8 runs per game during their six-game win streak, a hot stretch that advances a return to a park where they slugged 10 home runs and scored 52 runs in a three-game sweep in 2006.

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By MOISEKAPENDA BOWER
Houston Chronicle