NEWMAN (5-5) at LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (7-8)
Friday, March 6, 2015 – Game 1: 3 pm / Game 2: 5 pm                                                   
Hays Field (Lubbock, Texas)
Radio: Online Only
All-Time Series: LCU leads 2-1


Lubbock Christian University returns to Heartland Conference play Friday hosting Newman University for a 3 p.m. doubleheader at Hays Field.

The series marks the first Heartland Conference series at home for LCU, who went 0-1 last week at Arkansas – Fort Smith in a weather-shortened series. It is LCU's first 0-1 conference start under head coach Nathan Blackwood, who is in his 12th season. The Chaps are 7-8 overall and are seeking to end a three-game losing streak. Three of their last four games have been decided by one run. The last time LCU was below .500 15 games into the season was 2012 when they opened 6-9. It is only the second time they have been below .500 15 games in under head coach Nathan Blackwood, as they opened 2007 7-8. In 1980, LCU opened 7-8 and 7-12 before eventually ending up in the NAIA World Series.

The Chaps are 5-3 at home this season. LCU is hitting .304 this season as a team with 14 home runs in 15 games. They are led at the plate by Hunter McFall, who is batting .375 on the season with a team-leading 24 hits and 17 RBI. Brendan McCarthy leads the team with three home runs, as LCU has nine different players with homers on the season. The staff ERA is 5.71 with 108 strikeouts in 123 innings. Dalton Silva has the team-leading ERA at 3.12 and has held opponents to a .176 batting average. LCU is expected to go with Brig Gerlich in the opener. He holds a 4.55 ERA on the season and leads the team with 29 strikeouts. Gerlich is 2-2 in five starts and of his 30 runs allowed, 15 are unearned. Last season, Gerlich claimed a win in the series opener and allowed five earned runs off 11 hits in five innings of a 17-7 win. Guillame Blanchette will start on the mound in the second game. He has a 5.91 ERA this season and is 1-1 on the year. Blanchette has not pitched since Feb. 21.

Newman is 5-6 on the season and Friday serves as their conference opener. They are 3-2 away from Wichita, including a win over No.21 Texas A&M – Kingsville. The Jets are batting .280 as a team with two home runs through 10 games. Garett Thomas leads the Jets batting .419 on the season with a team-leading 18 hits. Andrew Standish leads the team in run production with 17 RBI. Newman has a 3.71 ERA and are holding teams to a .262 batting average. Lucas Schauer will start the first game on the mound. He has a 2-1 record with a 3.10 ERA and opponents are hitting .260 off of him. Schauer leads the staff with 13 strikeouts. Dylan Porter will be handed the ball for the second game. He is 2-1 with a 5.93 ERA. Neither pitcher has ever faced LCU.

LCU is 2-1 all-time against Newman University. Last season's series marked the first ever meetings between the two teams. Last season's series was played in Wichita, Kan. If LCU accomplishes a sweep of the doubleheader, the win would be the 500th for head coach Nathan Blackwood.