TEXAS-PERMIAN BASIN (19-29, 11-15) at No.17 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (34-15, 19-7)
Friday, May 7 – 2:00 p.m.
Hays Field (Lubbock, Texas)
Radio: KJTV am950/100.7fm
All-Time Series: LCU leads 24-3
Tweet #LCUvsUTPB
 
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
LCU – Russell Reber (6-1, 3.68 ERA)
UTPB – Chris Cano (4-4, 3.60 ERA)
 
RANKINGS
LCU: No. 17 (Collegiate Baseball Newspaper), No.24 (NCBWA), No. 24 (Perfect Game)
UTPB: Unranked
 
CLOSING TIME
No.17 Lubbock Christian University closes out the regular season with their final regular season and conference game hosting Texas – Permian. LCU swept the doubleheader Friday, winning 4-3 and 14-2 to clinch the second seed in the Heartland Conference Tournament. St. Edward's clinched the regular season conference title and will serve as the conference tournament host. They will use the facilities at Mary Hardin Baylor in Belton, Texas. UTPB was eliminated from gaining a tournament berth and Saturday will mark their final game of the season.
 
SENIORITY
Twelve Chap seniors will be recognized prior to the 2 p.m. first pitch. Senior members on the Chaps roster include Gerardo Arzaga, Albert Aveytia, Brian Baker, Guillaume Blanchette, Brennan Johnson, Mathew Lusk, Brendan McCarthy, Hunter McFall, Luke McKay, Jesse Pintado, Glen Warrick and Brett Wilhelm. 
 
IN THE REGION
The NCAA released their second regional rankings of the season and LCU, who is playing in their first season postseason eligible, moved to No.3 in the South Central Region Poll. The top six teams in the final region poll will advance to the South Central Region Tournament as part of the NCAA Championships, with hosting privileges for the No.1 ranked team.
 
1. Colorado Mesa
2. Tex. A&M-Kingsville
3. Lubbock Christian
4. St. Edward's
5. Angelo St.
6. West Tex. A&M
7. Colorado Mines
8. Okla. Christian
  
HOME TRENDS
The Chaps are 23-5 at home this season and led at the plate by Hunter McFall, who is hitting .455 at home. McFall has a .515 on-base percentage and has 16 multi-hit games at home this season. LCU is hitting .362 at home and has a 102-47 advantage in extra-base hits (79-34 in doubles). McFall has 36 RBI at home and Tony Reyes has 10 doubles and 33 RBI at home. Reyes has hit successfully in nine straight home games. JP Rousseau has reached base safely in 13 consecutive home games.
 
STREAKS
Jesse Pintado has an eight-game overall hit streak, which is the active leading hit streak on the squad (team's active leader in conference play with a seven-game hit streak). Jaime Bustamante has reached base safely in 15 consecutive games. Hunter McFall has reached base safely in all 26 conference games.
 
THE RUSS BUS
LCU will start Russell Reber on the mound. He is 6-1 on the season with a 3.68 ERA. The start will mark his team-leading 15^th start of the season. He allowed seven runs (six earned) off six hits in five innings last Saturday at Oklahoma Christian (LCU lost 12-11). Reber is 4-1 at home this season with a 3.86 ERA. On Mar. 3, Reber went five scoreless innings against UTPB and only allowed two hits.
 
ON THEIR HILL
The Falcons are expected to start Chris Cano (4-4, 3.60 ERA). He will make his 14^th start of the season and make his second appearance against LCU. On Mar. 5, he pitched 3.1 innings against LCU and allowed six runs (five earned) off eight hits, suffering the loss to the Chaps. He has allowed a run or less in two of his last three starts.   
 
SERIES NOTABLES
- LCU defeated UTPB 10-2 (in Lubbock) and 8-2 (in Odessa) in non-conference games prior to Friday's doubleheader. LCU is 4-0 this season against UTPB.
- The Chaps hit .385 on Friday with 23 hits in the combined two games. Hunter McFall went 4-for-7 to lead LCU on the day.
- LCU is hitting .378 overall against UTPB this season, while UTPB is .254 against LCU from the plate. Brandon Rix is 9-for-16 (.563) against UTPB this season. Rix leads the team in RBI in the series with eight.
- The Falcons are led in the series by Jack Miller, who is hitting .286 (4-of-14).
- LCU produced nine extra-base hits in the doubleheader and allowed one Friday.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
LCU is 24-3 all-time against UTPB and 16-0 in games played at 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 had defeated the Chaps prior to LCU falling twice last season in the conference series in Odessa. LCU swept the three-game series in 2014 at Hays Field. This meeting is their final meeting as Heartland Conference foes, as UTPB is moving on to the Lone Star Conference.