No.7 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (29-11, 14-4) at ROGERS STATE (22-17, 8-10)
Friday, April 22 –
Game 1: 2:00 p.m. Game 2: 4:30 p.m.
Diamond Sports Complex (Claremore, Okla.)
Radio: Online Only
All-Time Series: LCU leads 20-8
Tweet #LCUvsRSU
 
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
 
GAME 1
LCU – Guillaume Blanchette (9-1, 1.59 ERA)
RSU – Blake Roley (5-3, 5.74 ERA)
 
GAME 2
LCU – Ricky Contreras (6-0, 1.39 ERA)
RSU – Michael Fusselman (4-5, 4.42 ERA)
 
RANKINGS
LCU: No. 7 (Collegiate Baseball Newspaper), No.15 (NCBWA), No. 21 (Perfect Game), No.24 (D2Baseball News)
RSU: Unranked
 
BACK ON THE ROAD
After playing eight of their last nine games at home, No.7 Lubbock Christian University now play six of their next seven games on the road, beginning Friday with a doubleheader at Rogers State University to begin a three-game Heartland Conference series. LCU, winners of four consecutive games, enters the series tied atop the conference standings (14-4) and holding a head-to-head tiebreaker with St. Edward's. Rogers State, the only conference team not eligible for postseason play, is seeking to end a three-game losing streak. The Hillcats, who have lost six of their last seven games, are seventh in the conference with an 8-10 Heartland record.
 
ABOVE AVERAGE
LCU leads the Heartland Conference and ranks 19^th nationally batting .336 on the season.  The Chaps have produced at least 10 hits in 29 of 40 games played this season, including their last six games. Two of the top four in batting in the Heartland Conference are members of the Chaps (Hunter McFall .429 ranks second and Brandon Rix .390 ranks fourth). LCU also leads the conference in hits (464), with a mark that ranks 25^th nationally.
 
THE HUNTER
Hunter McFall leads the team hitting .429 and producing 44 RBI.  The senior infielder ranks 25^th nationally with 67 hits. He leads the team with 21 multi-hit games (nine games of at least three hits) and has 12 multi-RBI games. McFall is hitting .462 over the past 10 games (.543 on base percentage the past 10 games).
 
CONFERENCE TRENDS
The Chaparrals are hitting .332 in conference games and have a 2.75 staff ERA. Hunter McFall is hitting .466 in conference games and JP Rousseau is 20-of-455 (.444) in Heartland play as well. McFall (15), Tony Reyes (14) and Brent Stewart (14) lead the Chaps in conference RBI, as the Chaps have five players with at least 12 RBI in conference play. Pitchers Guillaume Blanchette (5-1) and Ricky Contreras (4-0) have combined to go 9-1 in conference games. LCU has used 10 different pitchers in conference play and only one has above a 2.61 ERA.
 
ROAD TRENDS
The Chaps are 7-7 on the road this season and led at the plate by Jaime Bustamante, who is hitting .439 in road play. Bustamante has a .500 on-base percentage and has nine multi-hit games on the road this season. LCU has hit 13 of their 24 home runs on the road this season. The Chaps have a staff ERA of 3.41 in road games. Hunter McFall, who is hitting .364 on the road, has hit safely in eight consecutive road games.
 
STREAKS
Hunter McFall enters Friday's game on a 23-game hit streak and has reached base safely in 26 consecutive games. McFall has an 18-game conference hit streak (at least one hit in all conference games). The hit streaks are the longest by a Chap this season. He has only been held hitless in three games this season.
 
BLANCHETTE TO OPEN
In the opening game of Friday's doubleheader, LCU will start Guillaume Blanchette on the mound. He is 9-1 on the season (tied for second in the nation in victories) with a 1.59 ERA (18th nationally) and seven complete games (tied for fourth nationally). Opponents are batting .199 against him this season. Blanchette also ranks seventh nationally in WHIP (0.84) and 31st in hits allowed per nine innings (6.5). On the road, Blanchette is 3-1 with 0.88 ERA.
 
THE RICK
LCU is going with freshman Ricky Contreras on the mound in the second game. Contreras is 6-0 with a 1.39 ERA this season (ranks ninth nationally). He leads the team in appearances (17) and has made three starts on the season. He has allowed five earned runs over his last 10 appearances, which have added up to 41 innings. Opponents are hitting .193 against him in conference and .204 overall. Contreras has a 1.48 ERA on the road (seven appearances) and has held opponents to a .153 batting average on the road.
 
ON THEIR HILL
The Hillcats are expected to start Blake Roley in the opener and Michael Fusselman in the second game on the mound. Roley (5-3, 5.74 ERA) suffered the loss in his last appearance (last Friday at Texas-Permian Basin). He went six innings and allowed two earned runs off seven hits and struck out two batters in a 3-0 loss. Roley has one win in his last five appearances. Fusselman (4-5, 4.42 ERA) did not have a decision in RSU's 9-8 loss at UTPB last Friday. He went six innings and allowed one run off eight hits before his bullpen surrendered eight runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to UTPB.  
 
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT RSU
- The Hillcats are 22-17 on the season, 8-10 in conference and 16-6 at home this season.
- They are coming off a three-game series at Texas-Permian Basin in which they were swept.
- RSU is hitting .310 as a team, with Caleb Kohlmeyer hitting .372 on the season. He has 15 doubles and five homers on the season.
- RSU was preseason picked eighth in the Heartland Conference Preseason Poll after going 9-18 last season in conference play.
- The Hillcats lead the Heartland Conference in walks with 186 free passes claimed this season. They also lead as the team with the fewest strikeouts at the plate (196)
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
LCU leads the all-time series with a 20-8 mark. The Chaps have won eight of the last 10 prior regular season meetings. In the conference series (Heartland and Sooner Athletic Conference), the home team has only won the series three times (out of nine series).