NO.15 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (20-9, 6-4) at NO.6 ST. EDWARD'S (24-7, 8-2)
Saturday, April 2 –
Game 1: 12:00 p.m. Game 2: 2:00 p.m.
Lucian-Hamilton Field (Austin, Texas)
Radio: Game 1: KJTV am950/100.7fm Game: 2 Online Only
All-Time Series: LCU leads 14-7
Tweet #LCUvsSEU
 
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
 
GAME 1
LCU – Ricky Contreras (4-0, 1.21 ERA)
SEU – Cameron Stanton (6-1, 2.00 ERA)
 
GAME 2
LCU – Russell Reber (2-1, 3.99 ERA)
SEU – Stuart Springer (6-0, 2.15 ERA)
 
RANKINGS
LCU: No. 15 (Collegiate Baseball Newspaper), No.22 (NCBWA), No.24 (Hero Sports), No.28 (D2Baseball News).
SEU: No.6 (Perfect Game), No.13 (NCBWA), No. 21 (Collegiate Baseball Newspaper), No.22 (D2Baseball News).
 
SATURDAY DOUBLE DIP
With rain showers leading to only the opening game of an originally scheduled doubleheader to be played in Austin, Texas Friday, Lubbock Christian and St. Edward's will play a doubleheader Saturday beginning at noon. LCU will seek to end the Hilltoppers eight-game win streak and four-game head-to-head win streak. The Chaparrals have won two of three games in all three of their prior Heartland Conference series played this season.
 
FRIDAY FLASHBACK
St. Edward's opened the three-game Heartland Conference series Friday with the first four runs of the game and defeated Lubbock Christian 5-2. The Hilltoppers used a two-run third and fourth inning to take the early momentum. LCU scored their only two runs in the top of the fifth inning.
   
STREAKS
Hunter McFall enters Saturday's doubleheader on a 12-game hit streak and Jaime Bustamante has reached base safely in 17 consecutive games, which is the longest streak of the season. McFall has a 10-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 10 conference games.
  
STARTING DEBUT
LCU is going with freshman Ricky Contreras on the mound in the opening 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.
 
REMIX
In the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, LCU will start Russell Reber on the mound. He is 2-1 on the season with a 3.99 ERA. He has not received a win decision in his prior three starts, however his last appearance (Mar. 24) was in a 5-4 win over Arkansas-Fort Smith in which he went 6.1 innings and allowed three runs off seven hits and struck out five batters. Reber has not gone less than five innings per start and holds a 3.06 ERA in conference games.
 
ON THEIR HILL
The Hilltoppers are expected to start Cameron Stanton in the opener and Stuart Springer in the second game on the mound. 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. Springer is a perfect 6-0 on the season with a 2.25 ERA. He has combined for 11.2 innings of shutout baseball over his prior two starts, allowing eight hits and striking out nine (two walks).
 
SERIES NOTABLES
- Friday's series opener marked the first time this season LCU had lost when outhitting an opponent (17-1 record).
- LCU has produced at least 10 hits in six consecutive games.
- Despite scoring two runs, LCU had hits in six of their nine innings of at-bats Friday.
- Nate Turner led SEU at the plate Friday going 2-for-3.
- LCU struck out nine times at the plate Friday and six times were strikeouts caught-looking.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
LCU and SEU first met in 1986 and the Chaparrals have a 14-7 all-time advantage in the series. The Chaps are 8-4 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 (SEU has won four straight in the series).