LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (22-23, 9-12) at TEXAS – PERMIAN BASIN (28-12, 17-7)Friday, May 1, 2015 – Game 1: 1:30 p.m. / Game 2: 4 p.m.
Roden Field (Odessa, Texas)
Radio: Online Only
All-Time Series: LCU leads 19-1
Lubbock Christian University completes the 2015 season with a three-game Heartland Conference series at University of Texas of the Permian Basin with a doubleheader Friday beginning at 1 p.m. at Roden Field.
The Chaps enter the series with a 22-23 overall record and a mark of 9-12 in Heartland Conference play. LCU is 2-5 over their last seven games and lost two of three games last weekend hosting Oklahoma Christian University. They have a road record of 5-9, but have won all five of their road games within their last seven road games played. LCU is batting .309 on the season (second in the conference), with a mark of .288 in Heartland Conference play. They lead the conference in runs (353), hits (478), doubles (100), triples (19) and homers (30).
Jesse Pintado leads the team batting .365 (eighth in the conference), with
Hunter McFall right behind with an average of .363. McFall is second in the conference in hits (66) and total bases (93) and is fourth in RBI (41). In conference play, Pintado and
Brett Wilhelm co-lead the team with a .338 batting average. Wilhelm leads the conference in runs scored with 46. Nationally,
Wade Stramp ranks fourth in walks with a conference-leading 41.
The pitching staff has an ERA of 5.96 (5.95 in conference). Senior
Brig Gerlich is expected to start the opening game. He is 5-7 with a 5.21 ERA on the season. He is 1-0 all-time against UTPB after claiming a win in an 11-4 LCU win of last season's series opener in Lubbock. Gerlich allowed two runs off five hits in five innings.
Guillaume Blanchette will start in the second game. He is 5-5 with a 5.07 ERA.
UTPB is 28-12 overall on the season and they enter the series 17-7 in conference. The Falcons are riding a five-game win streak and coming off a road series sweep over Oklahoma Panhandle State. They are 14-8 at home this season. UTPB is hitting .305 on the season, with the conference's top hitter, David Lee, hitting .475 on the season. He also leads their team in hits (56), RBI (32) and is second in the conference in on-base percentage (.514). The Falcons have a conference-low six homers on the season.
The pitching staff for UTPB holds a 4.37 ERA. Lance Fairchild and Brad Paramapoonya are expected to start Friday. Fairchild is 6-2 with a 3.78 ERA, while Paramapoonya is 7-2 with a 2.57 ERA. The two pitched last season in the series finale (5-4 LCU win), with Fairchild pitching the first five innings (three runs allowed off six hits) and Paramapoonya going the final three innings (two runs allowed off five hits). Neither had a strikeout against the Chaps.
LCU is 19-1 all-time against UTPB and 6-1 in games played away from Hays Field in the series. The Chaps won the first 14 meetings, with a meeting on Mar. 6, 2012 in Midland, Texas serving the only time UTPB has defeated the Chaps. LCU swept the three-game series last season.
