OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN (9-10, 0-0)
At No.14 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (15-7, 0-0)
Friday, Mar. 23, 2018 – 3 p.m. / 5 p.m. (DH)
Hays Field (Lubbock, Texas)
Online Audio: Unavailable
Radio: Unavailable
All-Time Series: LCU leads 58-20
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No.14 Lubbock Christian University opens their 28-game Heartland Conference schedule Friday hosting Oklahoma Christian University for a doubleheader, which is part of a new four-game conference series. In prior seasons, Heartland Conference series consisted of three-game series. This season, LCU will play three of their series at home, meaning 16 of their 28 conference games will be played on the road. Last season, LCU played a 24-game conference schedule, going 19-5 en route to a Heartland Conference regular season title. 
 
RANKINGS 
LCU: No.14 (Perfect Game),
OC: N/A
 
SCHEDULED STARTING PITCHER
 
GAME 1
LCU – Ricky Contreras (3-1, 2.83 ERA)
The reigning Heartland Conference Pitcher of the Year is scheduled for his seventh appearance and sixth start of the season. He is 3-0 in his last four appearances and has gone at least 4.1 innings in his starts this season. Contreras has allowed one run or less in six of his seven appearances and has held opponents to a .231 average. He is 1-0 all-time against OC in one prior appearance. On Mar. 9, 2017, he went seven innings and allowed five runs off nine hits and struck out four batters to record a win in an 11-5 victory.
 
OC – Mason McAlister (2-3, 10.29 ERA)
McAlister is set for his sixth start of the season. He had a two-game win streak snapped in his last appearance, allowing 11 runs (six earned) off 11 hits in 4.0 innings in a 16-11 Eagles loss to Arkansas – Fort Smith. OC averages 7.0 runs a game per McAlister starts.
 
GAME 2
LCU – Daniel Crooks (2-2, 3.77 ERA)
Like Contreras, Crooks is scheduled for his seventh appearance and sixth start of the season. He is coming off a tough loss, allowing one unearned run off seven hits in 7.1 innings against St. Edward's. He is fourth in the Heartland Conference in walks allowed per nine innings (2.03). Crooks has never faced OC.

OC – Gabe Rodery (1-1, 4.85 ERA)
The sophomore southpaw is the Eagles strikeouts leader with 29 Ks on the season in 26 innings pitched. He has been limited to one decision (0-1) in his last four appearances (five appearances on the season) and is coming off a no-decision against UAFS in which he allowed four runs off eight hits in 7.1 innings of a 7-6 Eagles loss. 
 
LOOKING BACK
No.6 LCU and St. Edward's split a pair of games in a nonconference doubleheader, and each were a difference of one run, as LCU won the opener 2-1 before falling in the second game 1-0 Saturday. The two teams split the four-game weekend series at Hays Field.
 
HOME NUMBERS
LCU is 9-6 at Hays Field this season, with a team batting average of .242 and an ERA of 3.22. Will Clark is hitting .354 at home and Ryan Rogers has 12 RBI in home games. On the hill, LCU pitching has held opponents to a .225 average at home.
 
STREAKS
Andrew Pratt has the longest active hit streak with hits in the last two games for LCU. Ryan Rogers has reached base safely in the last 15 games. Logan Nethercot has the season high, reaching base safely in 20 straight games.
 
INSIDE THE CHAPS NUMBERS
3.27 | The Chaps ERA of 3.27 leads the Heartland Conference and ranks 12^th nationally.
8.1 | LCU has allowed 8.1 hits per nine innings, which leads the conference and ranks 22^nd nationally.
10 | LCU co-leads the conference with 10 sacrifice flies. Six different Chaps have at least one sacrifice fly this season.
11 | Will Clark has 11 stolen bases on the season, ranking 39^th nationally and leading the conference.
12-2 | LCU is 12-2 all-time in conference openers under head coach Nathan Blackwood.
28 | Ryan Rogers leads the conference and ranks 42^nd nationally with 28 RBI.
31 | The Chaps have crushed 31 home runs this season, which ranks 19^th nationally (1.41 per game also ranks 19^th). Andrew Pratt and Ryan Rogers each co-lead the conference and rank tied for 44^th nationally with seven home runs.
 
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT OC
- The Eagles are coming off a 28-21 season, going 9-9 on the road.
- OC was preseason picked fifth in the Heartland Conference Preseason Poll. They went 13-11 in conference play last season.
- Kolton Brown was OC's lone Preseason All-Conference selection. The catcher is hitting .286 this season.
- OC ranks 20^th nationally with a conference leading 19 sacrifice bunts.
- Chad Kennedy leads the conference with a .500 on-base percentage and home runs per game (.33). He also leads in runs (24) and slugging (.785, 35^th nationally).
   
HISTORY WITH OC
LCU won two of three games in a three-game series in Oklahoma City, marking the second straight season the road team has taken two-of-three games in the regular season series. OC has a 6-4 record against LCU over the past three seasons (last 10 meetings). The Chaps are 58-20 all-time against Oklahoma Christian in a series that dates back to 1972. LCU is 29-6 all-time against OC at Hays Field.