TEXAS A&M INTERNATIONAL (12-21, 4-8)
at No.18 LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (22-12, 7-5)
Friday, Apr. 13, 2018 – 1 p.m. / 3 p.m. (DH)
Hays Field (Lubbock, Texas)
Radio: KJTV 100.7 The Score
All-Time Series: LCU leads 12-3

 
After playing their last eight games on the road, No.18 Lubbock Christian University is happy to return home to Hays Field, where they aim to end a four-game losing streak. LCU encountered the four-game losing streak in San Antonio, where they were swept by St. Mary's in a four-game Heartland Conference series. The last time LCU was swept in a four-game conference series was at Oklahoma City University in 2013, and the last time LCU suffered four consecutive losses was in 2015, which is when they ironically lost five straight games and were swept (three games) at St. Mary's (last time LCU played a Heartland Conference series in San Antonio). The string of losses bumped the Chaps into third place in the conference standings. They are two games back of Arkansas-Fort Smith, who is 9-3 in conference play. This series with Texas A&M International marks the second series against the Dustdevils. LCU won three-of-four games earlier this season in Laredo, Texas, as the two teams played in a non-conference series. This series at Hays Field will serve as conference contests.
 
RANKINGS 
LCU: No.18 (Perfect Game)
TAMIU: N/A
 
SCHEDULED STARTING PITCHER
 
GAME 1
LCU – Ricky Contreras (5-2, 2.81 ERA)
Contreras had a streak of seven consecutive appearances without a loss end in his last appearance, last Friday, as he allowed three runs off five hits in 5.1 innings at St. Mary's. Friday will mark his 10 appearance and ninth start of the season. It will also be his second start of the season against TAMIU, as he went 4.2 innings without a decision on Mar. 10 and allowed two runs (one earned) off five hits in a 7-6 TAMIU win. Contreras is 2-0 all-time against TAMIU with a 1.15 ERA, allowing five runs (two earned) off 15 hits in 15.2 innings. He has combined for 13 strikeouts in three career starts against the Dustdevils.
 
TAMIU – Ruben Solis (1-3, 5.86 ERA)
Solis will make his ninth start of the season. The Laredo, Texas native allowed three runs in 4.2 innings off six hits against Oklahoma Christian. He struck out five batters. In the prior series with LCU this season, he made a start going 6.1 innings and allowed four runs off seven hits. TAMIU won the game 7-6 and Solis was without a decision.
 
GAME 2
LCU – Callan Johnson (5-2, 3.79 ERA)
Johnson seeks to rally back from his shortest stint of the season, as he went 1.1 innings Saturday at St. Mary's (allowed five runs off nine hits). The start for Johnson is set for his ninth of the season and his second against TAMIU. On Mar. 9, he went six scoreless innings and allowed four hits to claim the win in a 10-2 LCU victory.
 
TAMIU – Hugo Mendiola (2-4, 5.01 ERA)
Mendiola, like Solis, is also a Laredo, Texas native and a right-handed product of United High School. The start will mark his 10^th appearance and his sixth start of the season. He allowed four runs off seven hits over 4.0 innings in his prior appearance (against Oklahoma Christian). On Mar. 9, he allowed 10 runs off 10 hits in 2.2 innings against LCU to suffer his first loss of the season. He did strike out five Chap batters in the start. 
 
LOOKING BACK
It was a series to forget for LCU last weekend, as LCU was swept at St. Mary's in a four-game Heartland Conference series. The Rattlers hit .345 in the series and had a staff ERA of 1.64, holding LCU's average to .162 in the series and scored at a mark to place LCU's ERA to 6.75 in the series. LCU was outscored 30-8 in the series.
 
DOUBLE VISION
Lubbock Christian led the Heartland Conference last season with 111 doubles. This season, they are hitting doubles at the same pace (2.06 per game) and have 70 through 34 games on the season. Scotland Church leads LCU with 12 on the season, which co-leads the conference. Saturday at StMU, Church had a pair of doubles for his third game of at least two doubles.
 
STRIKING OUT HUNGER
Lubbock Christian University is conducting their "Strike Out Hunger" campaign Saturday for both LCU baseball and softball events scheduled. Individuals are encouraged to bring five canned food items to receive free game admission or bring 10 canned food items for family admission. Fans are also encouraged to bring additional canned food items to participate in games and activities. Complimentary hamburgers and hot dogs will be grilled up for those participating in the food drive, which is supporting the South Plains Food Bank.
 
ON THE HOME FRONT
LCU is 13-6 at home this season, with a team batting average of .288 and an ERA of 3.43. Will Clark is leading LCU at Hays Field with a .339 batting average. Ryan Rogers leads LCU in hits at home with 22 (three doubles and three homers included). On the hill, LCU pitching has held opponents to a .230 average at Hays Field. LCU's starting pitching holds a 2.65 ERA at home and they have held opponents to a .209 batting average at home.
 
STREAKS
Many Chaps streaks came to a screeching halt in San Antonio. Andrew Pratt and Logan Nethercott have the only active two-game hit streaks coming out of the Alamo City. Pratt has reached base in 14 consecutive games, which actively leads the squad.  Ryan Rogers holds the seasons highs, with a 12-game hit streak and a streak of 24 games reaching base safely.
 
HAVING HEART
Despite a four-game losing streak, which has bumped LCU's conference mark to 7-5, LCU is still hitting .316 in conference games this season. Andrew Pratt (.432) and Keaton Greenwalt (.415) are each hitting over .400 in conference play. The Chaps have five players with at least 10 RBI in conference play, but none have more that 12 (Braden Hayward). LCU's pitching has a 4.96 ERA in conference play, with opponents hitting .270 against them.  Opponents have a 7.22 ERA against LCU in conference.
 
INSIDE THE CHAPS NUMBERS
0.489 | LCU ranks 33^rd nationally with a slugging mark of .489 on the season, which leads the conference. Andrew Pratt leads the team and ranks 47^th nationally with a mark of .723 (leads conference).
0.98 | Ryan Johnson ranks 35^th nationally in WHIP with a mark of 0.98, which ranks second in the conference.
3.51 | The Heartland Conference is showing some solid pitching numbers from their programs this season. The Chaps ERA of 3.84 ranks 32^nd nationally, but it is the fourth best mark in the Heartland Conference.
6.2 | Ryan Johnson leads the conference and ranks 37^th in hits allowed per nine innings (6.18).
11 | Andrew Pratt leads the Chaps with 11 multi-hit games this season.
10 | Ten (10) different Chaps have at least one sacrifice fly this season. They have produced 14 as a squad.
26 | Logan Nethercot has drawn 26 base-on-balls this season (co-leads the conference) and the walks rank 49^th nationally.
39 | Ryan Rogers leads the conference and ranks 58^th nationally with 39 RBI. He has produced 12 multi-RBI games this season.
41 | The Chaps have crushed 41 home runs this season, which ranks 27^th nationally (1.2 per game also ranks 28th). Andrew Pratt (10 homers) and Ryan Rogers (eight) are the top two in the conference and Pratt ranks 44^th nationally.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES WITH TAMIU
.370 | The Chaps are hitting .370 in the series with runners on base.
.469 | LCU has a .469 mark in the series on getting the leadoff batter aboard.
.600 | Ryan Rogers leads LCU in the series with a 9-for-15 (.600) performance at the plate with three home runs and two doubles, leading to seven RBI.
27-4 | LCU has a 27-4 advantage in the series in extra-base hits. The Chaps have a 10-1 advantage in home runs.
49-29 | LCU has flown out 49 times in the series, compared to 29 by TAMIU.
1-for-12 | The two squads have combined to go 1-for-12 in the series with the bases loaded (LCU is 0-for-8).
6 | Daniel Espinosa leads TAMIU in the series with six hits.
14 | Teams have combined for 14 two-out RBI in the series (each have seven).
 
HISTORY WITH TAMIU
LCU leads the all-time series with an advantage of 12-3. They have won nine of the last 11 meetings, including winning three-of-four games in a four-game non-conference series played in March in Laredo. LCU is 6-0 all-time in Lubbock in the series.