No.16 ARKANSAS – FORT SMITH (32-15, 17-9)
at LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (30-18,15-11)
Friday, May 4, 2018 – 3 p.m. / 5 p.m. (DH)
Senior Day Salute – 2:40 p.m.
Hays Field (Lubbock, Texas)
Radio: Online Only
All-Time Series: LCU leads 8-5
Tweet #LCUvsUAFS | Tweet #HeartlandBASE
 
LCU couldn't have asked for a better result Thursday, claiming a pair of wins over Arkansas-Fort Smith and handing the Lions their first consecutive losses since February, but the balance of the season still remains on what happens over the next two days.  LCU enters Friday's doubleheader and final two regular season games of the season sitting in fourth place of the Heartland Conference standings.  If LCU wins both of their contests Friday and sweeps the series, then they at least clinch a berth to the Heartland Conference Tournament in Cleburne, Texas (four-team double elimination tournament). What would remain to be seen is if they could possibly claim more, as they would be mathematically eligible to claim the conference regular season title.  The battle for the title remains cloudy, as LCU and UAFS are the only teams wrapping up the regular season Friday (the three remaining conference series wrap up Saturday).
 
RANKINGS 
LCU: N/A
UAFS: National: No.16 (NCBWA), No.23 (Collegiate Baseball),   Regional: No.1 (NCAA South Central Region Poll)
 
SCHEDULED STARTING PITCHER
 
GAME 1
LCU – Ricky Contreras (6-4, 3.99 ERA)
The reigning Heartland Conference Pitcher of the Year will mark his 13^th appearance and 12^th start of the season in Friday's opener.  He's looking to bounce back from his toughest outing of the season, as he allowed eight runs (seven earned) off nine hits in 6.0 innings last week in Austin, Texas against St. Edward's. Contreras is 1-1 all-time against UAFS with a 1.93 ERA, as he has combined to allow two earned runs off 13 hits in 9.1 innings over three career outings against UAFS. He has 11 strikeouts in the 9.1 innings.
 
UAFS – Dawson Floyd (9-2, 3.50 ERA)
Floyd has made 12 starts this season and half (six) have resulted in complete game outings.  He allowed seven runs off seven hits in 5.2 innings last week in a 9-7 UAFS win over Oklahoma Christian. He threw 104 pitches in the game, marking his third (of 12 starts) game he topped over 100 pitches thrown. Floyd has struck out seven batters in each of his prior two appearances.
 
GAME 2
LCU – Ryan Johnson (6-4, 2.99 ERA)
Johnson, like Contreras, jumps on the hill for his 13^th appearance and 12^th start of the season. He has held opponents to a .203 batting average on the season and has not allowed more than two earned runs in an appearance at Hays Field this season. He allowed three runs off five hits in 4.1 innings at St. Edward's in his last appearance. Johnson struck out 10 batters on Apr. 14 against Texas A&M International, which was his last outing at home.
 
UAFS – TBA (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
The Lions did not declare a starter for the second game of Friday's doubleheader.
 
LOOKING BACK
The Chaps were clutch with two outs, while No.16 Arkansas – Fort Smith was unable to take advantage of free opportunities, and together it resulted in LCU stamping a 5-2 and 11-10 Heartland Conference victory over the Lions Thursday at Hays Field.
 
LCU combined for 27 hits in the two games, with 15 coming in two-out at-bats. The Chaps hit .556 (15-for-27) in two-out at-bats, leading to a 10-1 advantage in two-out RBI, as the Lions were 0-for-15 in the same category. UAFS was held to 13 hits on the afternoon and found more success not swinging the bat, as they had 20 batters reach on free passes (11 walks and nine hit batters).
  
SENIOR SALUTE
LCU's series against UAFS marks their final regular season series and final home games of the season.  Prior to Friday's 3 p.m. first pitch, LCU's senior class of baseball student-athletes will be recognized (estimated 2:40 p.m. ceremony start). Eight seniors mark this season's senior class, and they include Colton Blackford, Scotland Church, Daniel Crooks, Dillon Drury, Nick Hooper, Logan Nethercot, Brenon Rhodes and Ryan Rogers (Rogers is the only senior class member that has played his entire college career at LCU).
 
SHOWCASING
Friday's final regular season doubleheader will be streamed as part of the NCAA Division II Showcase on ESPN3.  Daron Sutton, who has spent time behind the mic for MLB broadcasts and is the son of legendary MLB pitcher Don Sutton, will provide the play-by-play and former big leaguer Dmitri Young will serve as analyst for the ESPN3 broadcast stream. The games will mark LCU's broadcast debut on ESPN3.
  
HAYS-ING
LCU, who opened the season 0-3 and 1-4 at home, is 19-6 at home this season and 10-0 in home conference contests. The Chaps, winners of their last 10 home games, head into Friday with a team batting average of .321 at home and an ERA of 3.18. Andrew Pratt leads LCU at Hays Field, hitting .376 with 32 hits at home. The Chaps have a 50-32 advantage in doubles and a 31-6 advantage in home runs at home (Andrew Pratt and Braden Hayward co-lead LCU with six homers at home). On the hill, opponents are hitting .223 against LCU pitching at Hays Field. LCU's pitchers have 168 strikeouts and 80 walks at home. Callan Johnson (.134) and Ryan Johnson (.139) are each holding opponents under .140 at the plate and each have over 35 innings pitched at home.
 
STREAKS
LCU's offensive struggles on the road have kept their hitting streaks to a minimum. Logan Nethercot (12-for-26, .462, in his last eight games) actively leads the team with an eight-game hit streak heading into Friday.  He is also riding an eight-game streak reaching base safely, which actively leads LCU. Ryan Rogers holds the team's season high mark in hit streak (12 games) and reaching base safely (23 games).
 
HAVING HEART
The Chaps are 15-11 in conference play and hitting .316 in conference games this season. Andrew Pratt (.398) has 35 hits (in 88 at-bats) in conference play, with Scotland Church (.366, 34 hits) and Andres Negron (.372, 32 hits) not far behind. The Chaps have six players with at least 18 RBI in conference play, with 20 by Ryan Rogers and Pratt topping the list. LCU's pitching has a 5.17 ERA in conference play, with opponents hitting .273 against them.  Opponents have a 6.67 ERA against LCU in conference.
 
NUMBERS INSIDE THE SERIES WITH UAFS
1 – UAFS went 1-for-7 at the plate with the bases loaded Thursday. LCU did not have an at-bat with the bases loaded.
3 – Dion Williams led UAFS Thursday with a .419 average off three hits.
4 – Logan Nethercot (4-for-6, .667) and Will Clark (4-for-8, .500) each co-led LCU Thursday with four hits.  LCU hit .415 as a squad Thursday.
11/9 – LCU's pitchers have combined for 11 walks issued and nine batters hit in the series.
12 – LCU had 12 two-out hits in Thursday's second game, going 12-for-18 in the scenario.
21/20 – UAFS have flown out a combined 21 times in the series (10 ground outs), while LCU has grounded out 20 times (10 fly outs).
49 – In the second game Thursday, the two teams combined for 49 at-bats with runners on base. LCU had 26 at-bats in the game and whacked 13 hits.  
  
HISTORY WITH UAFS
LCU has an 8-5 all-time series lead over UAFS. The Chaps, winners of the prior two meetings, won two-of-three games in 2016, their last series in Lubbock, and is 7-1 all-time against UAFS in Lubbock.