GAME 1 PUSHED TO 3:30 PM DUE TO WEATHER. SECOND GAME MOVED AS PART OF A NOON DOUBLEHEADER SATURDAY
NO.15 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (20-8, 6-3) at NO.13 ST. EDWARD'S (23-7, 7-2)
Friday, April 1 –
Game 1: 1:30 p.m. Game 2: 3:30 p.m.
Lucian-Hamilton Field (Austin, Texas)
Radio: KJTV am950/100.7fm
All-Time Series: LCU leads 14-6
Tweet #LCUvsSEU
 
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
 
GAME 1
LCU – Guillaume Blanchette (7-0, 1.26 ERA)
SEU – Collin Sherrod (7-1, 2.25 ERA)
 
GAME 2
LCU – Ricky Contreras (4-0, 1.21 ERA)
SEU – Cameron Stanton (6-1, 2.00 ERA)
 
RANKINGS
LCU: No. 15 (Collegiate Baseball Newspaper), No.22 (NCBWA), No.24 (Hero Sports), No.28 (D2Baseball News).
SEU: No.13 (NCBWA), No. 21 (Collegiate Baseball Newspaper), No.22 (D2Baseball News).
 
THE HEARTland OF TEXAS
Lubbock Christian University's schedule in Heartland Conference play has been a tough one thus far. Opening at Newman (two of three conference losses are to LCU), hosting regional qualifier St. Mary's and previously conference unbeaten Arkansas-Fort Smith, yet through it all they have won two of three games in all three of the series. Now, LCU focuses on a road trip to No. 13 St. Edward's, who co-leads the conference standings (7-2). LCU sits a game back at 6-3. SEU enters riding a seven-game win streak (all conference wins).
 
ABOVE AVERAGE
LCU leads the Heartland Conference and ranks 22^nd nationally batting .332 on the season.  The Chaps have produced at least 10 hits in 20 of 28 games played this season. Two of the top six in batting in the Heartland Conference are members of the Chaps (Hunter McFall .413 ranks fourth and Brandon Rix .390 ranks sixth).
 
THE HUNTER
Hunter McFall leads the Heartland Conference and ranks 35^th nationally in runs-batted-in with 34. The senior infielder averages 1.2 RBI per game and has 10 multi-RBI games this season. He enters Friday's play on an 11-game hit streak, with three straight multi-hit games.
 
CONFERENCE TRENDS
The Chaparrals are hitting .306 in conference games and have a 3.68 staff ERA. Hunter McFall is hitting .410 in conference games and JP Rousseau is 12-of-22 (.545) in Heartland play as well. McFall (8), Rousseau (7) and Brent Stewart (7) have balanced out to combine for 22 of the team's 43 runs-batted-in in nine conference tilts. Pitchers Guillaume Blanchette (3-0) and Ricky Contreras (2-0) have combined to go 5-0 in conference games. All Contreras' wins have come in relief.
 
STREAKS
JP Rousseau and Hunter McFall each enter Friday's doubleheader on an 11-game hit streak and Jaime Bustamante has reached base safely in 16 consecutive games, which is the longest streak of the season. McFall has a nine-game conference hit streak (at least one hit in all conference games) and is joined by Bustamante as players that have reached base safely in all nine conference games.
 
BLANCHETTE TO OPEN
In the opening game of Friday's doubleheader, LCU will start Guillaume Blanchette on the mound. He is 7-0 on the season (tied for second in the nation) with a 1.26 ERA (17th nationally) and six complete games (tied for the national lead). Opponents are batting .167 against him this season. Blanchette also ranks third nationally in WHIP (0.68) and 16th in hits allowed per nine innings (5.2).
 
STARTING DEBUT
LCU is going with freshman Ricky Contreras on the mound in the second game. Contreras is 4-0 with a 1.21 ERA this season (ranks 15^th nationally), and all while coming out from the bullpen in a team-leading 13 appearances. He has a 0.64 ERA in four relief appearances adding up to 14 innings (one run allowed). Opponents are hitting .146 against him in conference and .167 overall. Contreras' start will mark the first time head coach Nathan Blackwood has started a freshman pitcher in a conference game in his 13 seasons as Chaps head coach.
 
ON THEIR HILL
The Hilltoppers are expected to start Collin Sherrod in the opener and Cameron Stanton in the second game on the mound. Sherrod (7-1, 2.25 ERA) registered the win in his last outing (Mar. 24) against Rogers State. He went six innings and allowed one run off four hits and struck out six batters. Sherrod has gone at least five innings in all eight of his appearances. Stanton (6-1, 2.0) had the win in a 4-0 complete game shutout over RSU. The son of former Major Leaguer Mike Stanton gave up four hits and struck out 10 batters en route to Pitcher of the Week honors. 
 
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT SEU
- The Hilltoppers are 23-7 on the season, 7-2 in conference and 15-2 at home.
- They are coming off a three-game sweep of Rogers State and have won seven consecutive games (overall and in conference).
- SEU is hitting .312 as a team, with J.D. Arrowood hitting .416 on the season. He has 15 doubles and nine homers on the season.
- SEU was preseason picked first in the Heartland Conference Preseason Poll after going 22-5 last season in conference play.
- The 'Toppers rank third in the nation with a staff ERA of 2.39 and are ninth in hits allowed per nine innings (7.54). They lead the nation in strikeouts-to-walk ratio (4.1) and are second in WHIP (1.10).
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
LCU and SEU first met in 1986 and the Chaparrals have a 14-6 all-time advantage in the series. The Chaps are 8-3 all-time away from home against the 'Toppers. LCU swept the season series in Austin two seasons ago had won eight of the prior nine meetings prior to being swept at home by the Hilltoppers last season.