LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (3-8, 3-8) vs.
ANGELO STATE (11-0, 11-0)
Saturday, February 22 – 2 p.m. (DH)
Hays Field – Lubbock, Texas
 
LEADING OFF
Lubbock Christian will be back on the diamond at Hays Field on Saturday, looking to bounce back from a series-opening loss against the top-ranked team in the country, Angelo State. The Chaps hit the ball well in Friday night's contest, actually collecting more hits than the No. 1 Rams, but ASU cleared the fence twice and held on for a 7-6 win. The loss dropped LCU to 1-4 this season in one run games and extended ASU's best start to a season in program history. The Chaps will try and in that win streak and clinch at least a series split as they try and win two seven inning games.
 
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game One
 
LCU – Armando Valle will likely get the ball in game one for the Chaps. The Puerto Rico native will be making his fourth start of the season after back-to-back strong outings. For the season, Valle has an ERA of 4.15 in 13.0 innings on the mound with a 1-1 record. He has walked 10 batters but also struck out more than a batter an inning with 16. In each of his last two starts, Valle has allowed just one run.
 
ASU – Lefty Benjamin Elder will get the ball for the Rams, pitching in his first season at Angelo State after two years at Butte College. Elder has a 3.68 ERA this year in 14.2 innings on the mound, having made three starts already. He has walked just two batters during that time while striking out 26. Earlier this season, Elder claimed Lone Star Conference Pitcher of the Week honors.
 
Game Two
 
LCU – The Chaps will send out another lefty in Aaron Weseman for the second half of the doubleheader. Weseman has spent 14 and two third innings on the mound this season across three starts, posting a 4.91 ERA and a 1-1 record in that time. Opponents are batting just .180 against the southpaw, but he has struck out only eight batters on the year. Weseman has been named LSC Pitcher of the Week once this season after his outing against St. Edward's.
 
ASU – Jake Rogers, a right-hander from Las Vegas, Nevada, is scheduled to start for the Rams in the nightcap. Rogers would be making his second start, but he has also pitched three times out of the bullpen. This season he has an ERA of 5.59 in 9.2 innings on the mound. He has allowed 11 hits in that time while striking out nine batters.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
3 | Chap freshman Merritt McPherson drove in three runs in Friday night's loss, becoming the first LCU player with a three-RBI game this season
11 | Angelo State's 11-0 start to the season is their best-ever
.375 | LCU's leadoff batter reached in just two of their nine chances on Friday night, but the Chaps still have an OBP of .375 to lead off an inning this year
11.08 | Chap starter Armando Valle averages 11.08 strikeouts per nine innings, which is the best mark of any LCU starting pitcher this year. His strikeout to walk ratio is 1.6
1.139 | Ram outfielder Josh Elvir is the team leader with a slugging percentage of 1.139, but went 1-4 with two strikeouts on Friday. He has only been held hitless in one game so far this season
.053 | The Chaps had three more chances to bat with the bases loaded on Friday and went 0-2 with a walk, dropping them to 1-19 (.053) on the season in those situations. Their only hit with the bases loaded was an infield single by AJ Perez in the February win against SEU
29 | Lubbock Christian has flown out a lot more often than it has grounded out through the first 11 games of the year, with 94 flyouts and 65 groundouts, which is a difference of 29
7 | Chap catcher Luis Navarro caught another would-be basestealer on Friday, putting him back in the conference lead with seven this season