NEWMAN (18-23, 5-12) at No.7 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (31-10, 14-3)
Saturday, April 22, 2017 – 1 p.m.
Hays Field (Lubbock, Texas)
Radio: KJTV am950/100.7fm
All-Time Series: LCU leads 10-2
Tweet #LCUvsNU | Tweet #HeartlandBASE
 
No.7 Lubbock Christian University closes out their Heartland Conference and season series with Newman Saturday with a nine-inning contest scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch. The Chaps, 15-3 in their last 18 games, enter Saturday's play atop the Heartland Conference standings with a 14-3 conference mark. They have a two-game lead on Arkansas-Fort Smith (11-4) and St. Mary's (13-5). It is mathematically possible this weekend that the Chaps can clinch one of four berths to the Heartland Conference Tournament (four-team double-elimination tournament) after the rest of the conference completes their play this weekend. Newman (18-23 overall) is 5-12 in the conference and is sitting in seventh place.
 
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
  
LCU – Russell Reber (8-1, 4.03 ERA)
Russell entered the week ranking tied for 10^th nationally in wins (8) and Saturday will mark his 12^th start of the season. He is coming off a six-inning outing Friday at Oklahoma Panhandle State in which he allowed just one hit and combined with three other Chap pitchers for a shutout. Last season, Reber went 5.1 innings against Newman without a decision in a 4-3 loss (Mar. 11, 2016). He allowed three runs (two earned) off 10 hits, which matched a season high in hits allowed last season.
 
NU – Bradley Altdoerffer (2-4, 6.09 ERA)
Bradley will make his 14^th appearance and seventh start on the bump for the Jets. He is 2-1 in his last eight outings, with his last outing coming on Apr. 14 against Oklahoma Christian. He went four innings against the Eagles and allowed eight runs (seven earned) off nine hits (three of which were home runs). His season debut came against LCU earlier this season (Feb. 4), suffering the loss allowing five runs (three earned) off seven hits in the 7-5 LCU win.    
 
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
The pitching staff of No.7 Lubbock Christian University shutout Newman twice and Brent Stewart combined to go 5-of-7 from the plate with 10 total bases, as LCU swept the Jets 6-0 and 2-0 in a Friday Heartland Conference doubleheader at Hays Field.
 
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 nine straight games. Ryan Rogers is right behind him with hits in eight straight contests. Reyes has also reached base safely in 20 consecutive games. 
 
STRIKEOUT HUNGER
Saturday's contest is LCU's annual Strikeout Hunger event, as the donation of five canned food items allows individuals free admission to the game (10 food items donated grants family access). All donations will be further donated to the South Plains Food Bank. There will be food, games and music all beginning at 11:30 a.m.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
3 | LCU leads the season series 3-0 and the Heartland Conference series 2-0 this season.
0.00 | LCU's bullpen has a 0.00 ERA against Newman this season with no earned runs in five innings. They have allowed three hits in the five innings.
.155 | The Jets are hitting .155 against LCU this season. Jacob Hamerle leads the Jets against LCU with a .333 average (2-for-6).
.382 | LCU hit .382 Friday with 26 hits (allowed eight) and had a 9-0 advantage in extra-base hits (six doubles, a triple and two home runs). They are hitting .356 against Newman overall on the season.
.714 | Brent Stewart was 5-of-7 (.714) in the doubleheader Friday and is now 6-for-10 against Newman this season. Of his five hits Friday, he had a triple and home run for 10 total bases.
1-for-15 | Newman was .067 at the plate with runners in scoring position Friday and 1-for-21 with runners on base. The Jets are 3-for-26 (.115) on the season against LCU with runners in scoring position.
7 | Tony Reyes has seven hits against Newman this season and leads the Chaps in the season series with four RBI and 12 total bases.
15 | The Chaps had 15 hits with two outs Friday, hitting .517 (15-of-29) in two-out at-bats. Five of their eight runs came with two-out RBI. LCU has a 10-1 scoring advantage in the overall season series with two outs against Newman.
23 | Newman hit into 21 ground outs Friday, with Josh Narvaiz collected 10 assists on the day at second base.
32 | LCU's pitchers have a 32-10 advantage in strikeouts in the season series.
 
HISTORY WITH NU
LCU owns an 10-2 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. LCU has five straight wins in the all-time series and is 5-0 all-time at Hays Field against Newman.