No.24 ST. EDWARD'S (21-14, 8-6) at No.13 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (26-9, 9-2)
Friday, April 7, 2017 – 2 p.m.
Hays Field (Lubbock, Texas)
Radio: Online Only
All-Time Series: LCU leads 18-8
 
No.13 Lubbock Christian University closes out a four-game homestand and seeks to complete a Heartland Conference series sweep overNo.24 St. Edward's University Friday afternoon at Hays Field, where first pitch is scheduled at 2 p.m. LCU, winners of eight consecutive home games, heads into the series atop the conference standings with a mark of 9-2 in conference play. St. Edward's entered the series tied for second in the conference, but Thursday's losses knocked them into fifth place with an 8-6 mark.  The two teams are the only two teams nationally ranked in the Heartland Conference. LCU is ranked in all four national polls, with Perfect Game ranking LCU No. 13. SEU is only ranked in the top-25 by NCBWA, appearing at No. 24.
 
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
 
LCU – Russell Reber (7-0, 3.69 ERA)
Russ is scheduled for his 10^th appearance and start on the mound this season. He pitched Saturday in Laredo, against Texas A&M International, and allowed two earned runs off six hits in 5.1 innings. He did not receive a decision. Reber had wins in five consecutive starts prior to the outing. He is 1-0 all-time against SEU, going seven innings last season (Apr. 2, 2016) and allowing one run off four hits to claim the win.
 
SEU – Ballard Infante (3-2, 2.38 ERA)
Texas State transfer Ballard Infante is slated to appear in his ninth contest on the hill. He went six innings in his last start (at Oklahoma Christian) and allowed two runs on five hits in six innings to claim the victory. He struck out a season-high 12 batters in the outing.    
  
RANKINGS (as of 4/4/17)
LCU: No. 13 (Perfect Game), No.17 (NCBWA), No. 20 (d2baseballnews.com), No.21 (Collegiate Baseball News)
SEU: No. 24 (NCBWA)
 
LOOKING BACK
No.13 Lubbock Christian University combined for 22 runs off 34 hits in a doubleheader against the nation's sixth best pitching staff and was able to garner an 11-7 and 11-6 victory Thursday to sweep a Heartland Conference doubleheader over No.24 St. Edward's University at Hays Field.
 
STREAKS
The active hit streak leaders on the squad are Caleb Koedyker and Josh Narvaiz, who are each on an eight-game hit streak. Brandon Rix has an active streak of reaching base safely entering Friday at 26 games.
  
SERIES BY THE NUMBERS
.466 | LCU is hitting .466 in the series, with 34 hits combined in the two games played.
.571 | Chase Simmons leads LCU in the series with a .571 average, going 4-for-7 with a double and a triple to score four runs.
.625 | William Hairston leads SEU in the series with a 5-for-8 plate appearance. All five hits are singles.
1 | Jacob Vasquez's home run for SEU in the second game was the first home run allowed at Hays Field by LCU this season.
2-for-3 | The Chaps are 2-for-3 in the series with the bases loaded.
3 | LCU entered the game ranked second nationally in triples, but produced three triples Thursday to place them 20 triples on the season, which moves them back into the national lead in the category.
3-for-3 | Jaime Bustamante is 3-for-3 in the series in two-out at-bats.
5 | The two teams combined for five sacrifice flies Thursday, with SEU producing four SAC-fly RBI.
5 | LCU entered the series with the better defensive numbers, but they committed five errors Thursday, which led to five unearned runs of SEU's 13 runs scored on the day.
8 | LCU has eight players in the series with at least two runs-batted-in.
 
HISTORY WITH SEU
LCU leads the all-time series with an advantage of 18-8 dating back to 1986. The Chaps are 8-3 all-time at Hays Field against the 'Toppers. The two teams split last season's series, with LCU winning two of three games in Austin in their regular season series before SEU eliminated the Chaps with a win at the NCAA South Central Region Tournament in Grand Junction, Colo. SEU swept LCU in their last three game series at Hays Field (2016 season).