No.8 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (10-4)
at TEXAS A&M INTERNATIONAL (7-6)
Friday, Mar. 9, 2018 – 12 p.m. / 2 p.m. (DH)
Jorge Haynes Field (Laredo, Texas)
Online Audio: None
Radio: None
All-Time Series: LCU leads 9-2
Tweet #LCUvsTAMIU
 
No.8 Lubbock Christian University heads to Laredo, Texas for a four-game series with Texas A&M International, which opens Friday with a doubleheader at Jorge Haynes Field. The two programs are Heartland Conference programs, but the four-game series in the Gateway City are all nonconference games. LCU heads to Laredo on a nine-game win streak and coming off a three-game sweep last week in Alamosa, Colo. over Adams State.
 
RANKINGS 
LCU: No.8 (Perfect Game), RV (Collegiate Baseball News)
ADAMS: N/A
 
SCHEDULED STARTING PITCHER
 
GAME 1
LCU – Ryan Johnson (1-1, 1.65 ERA)
TAMIU – Hugo Mendiola (2-0, 0.96 ERA)
 
GAME 2
LCU – Callan Johnson (2-0, 2.00 ERA)
TAMIU – Eric Cleveland (1-0, 1.08 ERA)
 
 
LOOKING BACK
For a second consecutive game, No.10 Lubbock Christian University walloped five home runs, and Saturday's five long balls helped the Chaparrals score 13 unanswered runs (eight runs in the eighth inning) to complete a three-game series sweep with a 15-4 win over Adams State. 
 
CLARK CLAIMS HONOR
LCU's Will Clark was named the Heartland Conference Baseball Hitter of the Week for games played from Feb. 26 – Mar. 4.
 
Clark hit .429 (6-of-14) on the week with a .929 slugging mark. The Steamboat Springs, Colo. native had a tremendous trip back to his home state with at least one hit in all three games, including a 3-for-5 performance in the last game of the series, which also included four runs, two home runs and five RBI. He finished with seven RBI in the series with five runs scored. Clark was 4-for-8 with runners on base, 4-for-6 with runners in scoring position and five of his RBI came with two outs.
 
This is Clark's first hitter of the week honor and the second claimed by a Chaps member. The prior week, Ryan Rogers was named Co-Hitter of the Week.
  
STREAKS
Logan Nethercot has reached base safely in all 14 games this season. Braden Hayward is the team active hit-streak leader, with hits in eight consecutive games. He is 15-for-30 (.500) with a trio of homers over the span.
 
FOLLOWING THE RIO GRANDE
LCU playing their prior game in Alamosa, Colo. to playing in Laredo, Texas Friday spans 960 miles. The last time LCU spanned that much distance between games was in May of 2016, as LCU went from playing in the Heartland Conference Tournament in Belton, Texas to playing in the NCAA Division II South Central Region Tournament in Grand Junction, Colo. (1,040 miles).
 
DEEP CONVERSATION
LCU has produced at least one home run in five consecutive games, hitting 15 in their last four games combined. The deep ball has LCU ranking 16^th nationally in home runs, with a conference leading 21. Andrew Pratt and Ryan Rogers co-lead the conference with four home runs.
 
FIVE THINGS ABOUT TAMIU
- The Dustdevils are coming off a 12-32 season in 2017. They went 6-13 at home and 6-14 in non-conference play.
- TAMIU finished the 2017 season in eighth place of the Heartland Conference with a 6-18 conference record. They are preseason picked eighth in the Heartland this season.
- Of TAMIU's 7-6 record this season, they are 0-3 against NCAA Division II opponents. They are 6-1 in their last seven games.
- The Dustdevils pitching staff has a 2.78 ERA, which ranks 16^th nationally.
- Alexander Cabezas has been beaned six times this season, which co-leads the Heartland Conference.
 
HISTORY WITH TAMIU
LCU leads the all-time series with an advantage of 9-2. They had won six straight games in the all-time series until a 6-3 TAMIU win in Laredo on Apr. 1, 2017. LCU is 3-2 all-time in Laredo (2-1 at Haynes Field).