LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (7-9, 6-7 LSC) vs.
TEXAS A&M-KINGSVILLE (9-4, 9-4 LSC)
Saturday, March 20 – 2 p.m.
Hays Field – Lubbock, Texas
 
LEADING OFF
For the second straight weekend Lubbock Christian University has earned the win in the first game of the series and will go for the series win on Saturday. They beat Texas A&M-Kingsville 5-2 on Friday night, using clutch hitting in the late innings and big relief outings from Owen Woodward and Cade Acrey to hold off the Javelinas. If the Chaps take the win Saturday, it will be TAMUK's first series loss in 2021.
 
STARTING PITCHING MATCHUP
LCU – After two weeks off due to injury, Lubbock Christian will see the return to action from right-hander Ty Stephenson, who is scheduled to make the start in game two. This will be Stephenson's third start/appearance of the season. In 10 innings of work this year, he has an ERA of 2.70 with nine hits allowed, three walks and eight strikeouts. His first start of the year was a dandy, as he threw a complete-game shutout against Arkansas-Fort Smith that earned him Lone Star Conference Pitcher of the Week. In his last start he before being shut down for two weeks, he was not as sharp, allowing three runs on seven hits in three innings of work. Stephenson is an extreme ground ball pitcher, with 18 ground outs to just two fly outs this year.
 
TAMUK – A native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Amado Almanzar is likely to get the ball in game two for the Javelinas. The 6'4 right-hander is in his second year at Texas A&M-Kingsville after two years of junior college ball at Ranger College and a redshirt season at UTRGV in 2019. He enters Saturday with an ERA of 8.10 in 16 and two thirds inning of work this year. He has allowed 17 runs on 21 hits in that time with seven walks and 17 strikeouts. In his last start, Almanzar went three and a third innings against St. Mary's, allowing five runs on eight hits with three strikeouts.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
1 | Friday night's meeting was just the seventh all-time between Lubbock Christian and Texas A&M-Kingsville, and it was LCU's first-ever win over TAMUK
.182 | The Javelinas had their chances to tie or even take the lead multiple times in Friday night's game, but went just 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position for a .182 batting average
4.11 | Owen Woodward and Cade Acrey combined for four innings of scoreless relief in the series-opener, lowering LCU's bullpen ERA for the season to 4.11
4 | George Mendazona had three RBI on Friday, two of which were driven in with sacrifice flies. He now leads the team in that category with four
.368 | Going 3-for-4 at the plate on Friday, Eduardo Acosta raised his batting average to .368 and is currently the LCU hitting leader