NEWMAN (18-21, 5-10) at No.7 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (29-10, 12-3)
Friday, April 21, 2017 – 3 p.m. / 5 p.m. (DH)
Hays Field (Lubbock, Texas)
Radio: Online Only
All-Time Series: LCU leads 8-2
Tweet #LCUvsNU | Tweet #HeartlandBase
 
No.7 Lubbock Christian University hosts Wichita, Kan. based Newman University for a three-game Heartland Conference series, with a Friday doubleheader and a single game scheduled for Saturday. The Chaps, 13-3 in their last 16 games, enter the series atop the Heartland Conference standings with a 12-3 conference mark. They have a one-game lead on Arkansas-Fort Smith (11-4) and a two-game series lead on St. Mary's (11-5). It is mathematically possible in this series that the Chaps can clinch one of four berths to the Heartland Conference Tournament (four-team double-elimination tournament). Newman (18-21 overall) is 5-10 in the conference and is sitting in seventh place.
 
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
 
Game 1
 
LCU – Ricky Contreras (7-0, 2.43 ERA)
Ricky is scheduled for his 12th start of the season and heads into the start with wins in his last seven starts. He has gone the distance in four of his last six starts. Last Friday at Oklahoma Panhandle State, he went seven shutout innings and allowed five hits, as LCU won their fourth one-run game in which Contreras has started. Ricky faced NU as a freshman last season (Mar. 12) and went 7.2 shutout innings in relief of a 10-6 LCU win. He allowe two hits and struck out 10 in the appearance.
 
NU – Joe Cannady (1-4, 5.03 ERA)
Joe is scheduled to make his 14 appearance and team leading ninth start of the season. The team leader in innings pitched (48.1) and strikeouts (32) has suffered losses in his last two starts. His last start (Apr. 13) against Oklahoma Christian lasted seven innings and he allowed four runs (two earned) off six hits in seven innings. Cannady is 0-1 in four career appearances against LCU. Last season (Mar. 12), he went 5.1 innings in relief and suffered the loss allowing four runs off four hits.   
 
Game 2
 
LCU – Daniel Crooks (5-1, 3.65 ERA)
Daniel is on deck for his 12th appearance and 11th start of the season. Crooks has 65 strikeouts (leads team) in 56.2 innings on the hill this season. He has claimed the win in his prior two starts, including a six-inning appearance on Apr. 13 at OPSU, in which he allowed one run off three hits.
 
NU – Trey Tucker (1-0, 3.38 ERA)
The left-handed pitcher is the Jets ERA leader (3.38) and is scheduled for his second start of the season. His prior outing was Apr. 13 against OC, as he allowed one run off four hits in five innings. He has only allowed one run off his last 12.1 innings over his last five appearances. Tucker has never faced the Chaps.
 
RANKINGS (as of 4/20/17)
LCU: No.7 (NCBWA), No. 9 (Perfect Game), No.16 (Collegiate Baseball News), No. 17 (d2baseballnews.com)
NU: N/A
 
LOOKING BACK
Russell Reber, EJ Ramos, Nathan Dockery and Nick Hooper combined for a one-hitter and Chase Simmons produced four of the team's 15 hits, as Lubbock Christian University cruised to a 9-0 road win at Oklahoma Panhandle State Friday at Aggie Field to complete a three-game Heartland Conference sweep.
 
STREAKS
For a second time this season, Tony Reyes leads the team in active hit streaks. Reyes, who had a Chap season high 18-game hit streak earlier this season, has hits in seven straight games. Ryan Rogers is right behind him with hits in six straight contests. Reyes has also reached base safely in 18 consecutive games for a second time this season. It would be a season high for Reyes if he extends it to 19. Josh Narvaiz has reached base in seven.
 
TRIPLES
The Chaps had a triple in their series at OPSU and lead the nation with 22 triples on the season. Nine different Chaps have produced a triple this season, and Caleb Koedyker leads the team with five triples (tied for 22nd nationally).
 
SAC-IT TO ME
LCU leads the Heartland Conference and ranks 36th nationally in sacrifice flies with 20 on the season. Ten different Chaps have at least one sac-fly on the season, with Jaime Bustamante leading the team with four (tied for 52nd nationally). 
 
HOME TRENDS
LCU is 12-4 at Hays Field this season and has won eight of their last nine games at home. The Chaps are hitting .368 as a team in home games, with Ryan Rogers hitting a rate of .481 on the road. Rogers has 24 RBI and eight doubles at home this season. He is one of three Chaps hitting over .400 at home, as Tony Reyes (.418) and Jaime Bustamante (.403) join Rogers. The staff has a 4.81 ERA at home. Brent Bezio supports a 0.90 ERA at home, allowing two earned runs in 20.0 innings.
 
CONFERENCE TRENDS
The Chaps are hitting .345 in Heartland Conference play, where they are 12-3 on the season and 5-1 at home. Ryan Rogers is hitting .421 in conference play, going 24-for-57 at the plate with six doubles and 16 RBI. Brandon Urquizo leads LCU in conference action with 17 RBI. LCU has been limited to six home runs in conference play (opponents have a 13-6 advantage in home runs in conference competition), but they have 36 doubles and nine triples produced (51-36 advantage for LCU in extra base hits). The pitching staff has a 4.57 ERA, with Ricky Contreras leading the squad with a 2.61 ERA in conference. Contreras is also 5-0 in conference starts.
 
CHAPS BY THE NUMBERS
.319 | The Chaps lead the Heartland Conference (34th nationally) in batting with a .319 batting average.
31 | LCU co-leads the Heartland Conference and ranks tied for 47th nationally with 31 double plays turned this season.
43 | Jaime Bustamante leads the Heartland Conference in runs (43) and runs per game (1.1).
60 | Tony Reyes leads the Heartland Conference and ranks 46th nationally in hits with 60.
437 | With 437 hits this season, LCU leads the conference and ranks 21st nationally in the category.
 
FIVE THINGS ABOUT NU
- The Jets are coming off a 28-20 season in 2016. They did not play a neutral site game and went 14-13 in the Heartland Conference.
- NU was preseason picked sixth in the Heartland Conference Preseason Poll.
- The Jets rank 11th in the nation in hit batters, as they have been hit a conference leading 68 times. Aaron Mack ranks eighth nationally, as he has been hit 18 times.
- Brian Canfield leads the Jets at the plate this season with a .367 average. He has 54 hits and 15 doubles.
- NU leads the conference in stolen bases (52), with Channing Williams leading the Heartland with 15 thefts this season.
 
HISTORY WITH NU
LCU owns an 8-2 all-time series advantage. Last season, LCU won two of three games in Wichita, winning the last two games of their Heartland series from Mar. 11-12, 2016. The two squads met in Grand Prairie, Texas at the DII AirHogs Classic on Feb. 4 this season and LCU won the non-conference meeting 7-5, bouncing back from a 4-0 deficit in the game.