REGIS (0-0)
at No.7 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (0-0)
Friday, Feb. 9, 2018 – 3 p.m. / 5 p.m. (DH)
Hays Field (Lubbock, Texas)
Radio (Game 1 only): 100.7 FM The Score (Game 2 is online only)
All-Time Series: LCU leads 2-0

 
The 2018 campaign for No.7 Lubbock Christian University opens Friday at Hays Field, as the Chaparrals hosts Regis (Colo.) in a doubleheader to open a four-game nonconference series. The series was originally scheduled with a doubleheader on Saturday, but due to weather forecasts calling for cooler temperatures Saturday, the two teams decided to move the doubleheader to Friday.
 
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS
 
Game 1
 
LCU – Ricky Contreras (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Ricky will serve as the "opening day starter" for a second consecutive season. Contreras is a NCBWA and College Baseball News Preseason All-American and Preseason All-Heartland Conference member. The junior pitcher completed a 10-2 season in 2017 with a 2.67 ERA. He made 16 starts (tied for fifth nationally), with seven going the distance to rank fourth nationally in complete games. The Lubbock, Texas native led the Heartland Conference and ranked 12^th nationally in victories on the mound with 10. A two-time Heartland Conference First Team selection and 2017 Heartland Conference Pitcher of the Year, Contreras was also an ABCA, D2CCA and NCBWA All-Region recipient. He is 17-4 in his LCU career.
 
RU – Brad Thoutt (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
The 6-5 right-hander hurler went 2-2 in five starts last season with a 3.67 ERA. In his season debut last season, he went seven innings and allowed one run off four hits in a win against nationally ranked Angelo State. His season was limited due to an injury. He is 14-11 with a 4.64 ERA in his Regis career.
 
Game 2
 
LCU – Daniel Crooks (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
Crooks, a College Baseball News Preseason All-American, went 9-2 on the mound in 2017, with a 2.88 ERA leading to ABCA and D2CCA All-Region accolades. The Midland, Texas native led the Chaps in strikeouts (96) and in holding opponents to a .211 batting
average. He allowed an average of 6.5 hits (led the conference) and 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings during the season to lead the team in each category.
 
RU – Noah Gotsis (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
The senior right-hander went went 6-5 last season with a 4.10 ERA in 14 starts. His career numbers include a 13-13 record, 4.54 ERA and 177 strikeouts in 204 innings.
  
RANKINGS (Preseason)
LCU: No. 7 (Perfect Game), No.16 (NCBWA), No.32 (Collegiate Baseball News),
RU: N/A
 
THE NEW GUYS
The 2018 season has 17 first-year Chaparrals on the roster (excluding last season's redshirts). Of those 17 new additions, 11 are transfers and six are freshmen. Outfielder/Pitcher Scotland Church (Oregon State) and catcher Andrew Pratt (New Mexico) are the new additions coming from NCAA Div. I programs.         
 
HELLO MY NAME IS
Ryan Rogers, who saw time at first base and as a designated hitter last season, is the only starting positional player (non-pitcher) returning for the Chaps. Rogers was an ABCA, D2CCA and NCBWA All-Region selection last season. The senior from Littlefield, Texas claimed All-Conference honors in 2017 with a .357 hitting mark on the season. He led the team with 17 doubles (fourth in the conference) and 46 RBI (sixth in conference). Rogers is also a Preseason All-American (College Baseball News), Preseason All-Region (NCBWA) and a Preseason All-Heartland Conference selection this season.They do return seven pitchers that saw time on the mound last season, including rotation regulars Ricky Contreras and Daniel Crooks.
 
THE HONORS
Five different Chaps received preseason recognition heading into the 2018 season:
 
Ricky Contreras
-NCBWA Preseason All-American (Honorable Mention)
-College Baseball News All-American
-NCBWA Preseason All-Region (First Team)
-Heartland Conference Preseason All-Conference 
 
Daniel Crooks
-College Baseball News All-American
 
Nick Hooper
-Heartland Conference Preseason All-Conference
-NCBWA Preseason All-Region (Second Team)
 
Ryan Rogers
-College Baseball News All-American
-Heartland Conference Preseason All-Conference
-NCBWA Preseason All-Region (Second Team)
 
Scotland Church
-NCBWA Preseason All-Region (Second Team)
 
ENCORE PERFORMANCE
LCU begins their third season of play with NCAA postseason eligibility, and they will seek a third consecutive season of postseason play. LCU's 2017 season followed a 2016 season, in which they made it to the NCAA Division II South Central Region Tournament in Grand Junction, Colo., with a berth to the NCAA Division II South Central Region Tournament in San Angelo, Texas. The Chaps completed the 2017 season with a 38-16 record, which included a Heartland Conference regular season title (19-5 in conference play).
 
OPENING THINGS UP
LCU is 10-4 all-time in openers under head coach Nathan Blackwood, who heads into his 15^th season with an all-time coaching record of 589-232 (all at LCU). LCU has not lost a season opener since a 1-0 loss on Feb. 1, 2014 (hosted Adams State) and has won 10 of their last 11 season openers dating back to 2008. This season marks the first time they are opening up against Denver, Colo. based Regis.
 
ADAMS FAMILY
LCU went 18-4 last season at home, closing the regular season winning their last six home games. Ryan Rogers led LCU at home last season hitting .459 with 10 doubles. The Chaps hit .380 at home last season and held opponents to a .256 average. Contreras went 4-0 at home with a 2.31 ERA. Opening against Regis marks the first time since 2013 (Texas College) that LCU has not hosted Adams State for their home opener. Regis, like Adams State, does come out of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
  
FIVE THINGS ABOUT REGIS
- The Rangers are coming off a 26-26 season in 2017. They went 11-14 on the road and 8-8 in non-conference play. RU went 2-4 against Heartland Conference foes, getting each of their wins over Rogers State.
- Regis finished the 2017 season in sixth place of the RMAC with an 18-18 conference record. They are preseason picked third in the RMAC and they received one first-place vote.
- Noah Gotsis (pitcher), Patrick Kenny (relief pitcher) and Logan Heflebower (infielder) claimed Preseason All-Conference honors in the RMAC. Gotsis closed out last season claiming All-Conference Second Team accolades.
- Sam Brinkman, a freshman Sugar Land, Texas, is the only Texas native on the Regis roster. They have 15 Colorado natives on the roster (LCU has three Colorado natives on their roster… Will Clark, Dillon Drury and Logan Nethercot).
- The Rangers offensive task will be to find a replacement in their lineup for Josh Newell. He ranked ninth nationally with a RMAC leading .428 batting average. He received All-American honors from the ABCA and D2CCA.
 
HISTORY WITH REGIS
LCU has a 2-0 all-time record against Regis.  The two teams previously met for a pair of games in Alpine, Texas in a tournament hosted by Sul Ross State University. LCU won 5-3 (Mar. 9, 1995) and 4-3 (Mar. 11, 1995) in the two games.