LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (2-3, 2-3) vs.
ST. MARY'S (5-0, 5-0)
Sunday February 9, 2020 – 1 p.m.
Hays Field – Lubbock, Texas
 
LEADING OFF
Below .500 for the first time this season, the Lubbock Christian baseball team will look to salvage a win in the series with St. Mary's after losing the first two games 7-5 and 16-7. For the Chaps, the series loss is their first to St. Mary's since 2018, when they were swept in four games in San Antonio. It is also their first series loss at home since the opening weekend of 2018, when they dropped three of four games to Regis. LCU hit much better in Saturday's contest, but the pitching staff faltered late as they let the Rattlers come back twice. The Chaps will need a complete team effort to get the win over St. Mary's on Sunday.
 
PROBABLE PITCHERS
LCU – The Chaps will send another lefty starter to the mound in junior Armando Valle. The 6'5, 210 Puerto Rico native will be making his second appearance for the Chaps, both starts. Last week against St. Edward's, Valle struggled, only pitching two innings while allowing five runs on five hits and walking a pair of batters as the Hilltoppers handed him the loss.
 
StMU – Oddly enough, the Rattlers will more than likely be sending a former teammate of Valle's to the mound on Sunday in the form of left-handed pitcher Dylan Bells. Both Valle and Bells transferred to their respective schools from Frank Phillips college, where they were on the same roster in 2019. In his first start for St. Mary's, Bells went five innings, giving up just two runs on three hits and striking out three in a win against Cameron. He did not walk a batter in the inning.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
5-0 | The 5-0 start for St. Mary's is their best since 2009 when they won the first six games of the season en route to a 36-17 overall record
.306 | Lubbock Christian is batting .306 (19-62) against left-handed pitching so far this season compared to just .194 against righties
.308 | StMU had eight two-out RBI in Saturday's contest and is batting .308 (8-26) with two outs in the series
5.93 | LCU's staff earned run average of 5.93 currently ranks eight in the Lone Star Conference
1/3 | The Chaps have put their leadoff batter on exactly one third of the time in this series so far