LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (6-2, 6-2 LSC) vs.
ST. MARY'S (3-3, 1-3 LSC)
Friday, Feb. 18 – 5 p.m.
Hays Field – Lubbock, Texas
 
LEADING OFF
After a successful weekend in Oklahoma City, the Chaps will now return home for another four-game series at Hays Field, where they will hopefully find warm weather for the first time this season. The season-opening series against Arkansas-Fort Smith was altered due to snow in Lubbock, and the wind chill for the final three games of the series against Oklahoma Christian was below freezing at times. Temperatures for this weekend should be much better, including as high as 72 degrees on Sunday. It is Lubbock though, so the wind will be blowing, and forecasts for the weekend have it blowing out, making for a lot of chances for home runs.
 
THE CHAPARRAL NINE

• LCU's pitching staff posted a 2.81 ERA and .208 opponent's batting average in the series against OC
• Lubbock Christian's .301 team batting average is the third-best in the Lone Star Conference
• The Chaps dropped three straight games at StMU in the 2021 regular season
• St. Mary's won twice at the Houston Winter Invitational last weekend
• Eduardo Acosta and Jarred Gibson both have hits in every game so far this season
• LCU's four-game sweep over OC was their first since May 3-4, when they swept UAFS in four games
• The Rattlers were picked to finish seventh in the LSC Preseason Poll, one spot behind the Chaps
• Lubbock Christian was receiving votes in this week's NCBWA National Top-25 Poll

 
EVERYBODY PITCHES IN
The Lubbock Christian pitching staff had an incredible weekend in Oklahoma City from the starters on into the bullpen. Armando Valle, Shandon Herrera, Ty Stephenson and Tyler Hardwick were the starting pitchers for the series, and the group posted a combined 2.57 ERA across the four games. LCU's starting pitchers allowed just 20 hits and limited the Eagles to a .238 batting average. They walked 10 and struck out 21 on the weekend. Overall, LCU starting pitching has a 4.23 ERA and .273 opponent's batting average. The Chaps will use the same four starters this weekend against St. Mary's, although Herrera and Stephenson will swap games.
 
OH, WHAT A RELIEF IT IS
The bullpen was equally efficient against Oklahoma Christian, posting a 2.45 ERA in 11.0 innings of work with an incredible opponent's batting average of just .139. Cannon Davis and Brendan Anderson both had scoreless outings in relief, and neither have allowed a run so far this season. Anderson has allowed just two hits in 6.1 innings, and both have been to left-handed batters. Peyton Hutson also has a strong performance, allowing just one run and earning the win in 3.2 innings of relief in the series finale. Koi Carrillo was the only Chap to allow multiple runs for the weekend. The LCU bullpen has an overall ERA of 6.85 in 23.2 innings, but opponents are hitting just .250 against them.
 
AWARD CENTRAL
Junior infielder Eduardo Acosta was named the Lone Star Conference Hitter of the Week for his performance against OC, the league announced on Tuesday. Acosta was LCU's leading hitter for the weekend with a .438 batting average, leading the Chaps to a series sweep over Oklahoma Christian on the road. He had seven total hits, including two multi-hit games, and scored four runs and a pair of RBI against the LSC's top pitching staff. Acosta rounded out the weekend with an opposite field home run to add a pair of insurance runs in his final at bat of the series. He has played in all eight games so far this season, batting .444 and spending time at five different positions.
 
WALK LIKE A MAN
Lubbock Christian comes into the weekend ranked No. 5 in the Lone Star Conference with 41 total walks drawn. Luis Navarro leads the team in that category with eight, bringing his on-base percentage to .500 despite hitting .292. Will Buccholz is right behind him with seven walks, and another four players have drawn at least four already this season. The Chaps' season-high in walks came in just the second game of the season, when they walked 12 times against Arkansas-Fort Smith. St. Mary's won't be handing out as many free passes though, entering the series with just 18 walks as a pitching staff – the fewest in the conference.
 
IN THEIR DEFENSE
The Chaparrals committed just three errors in 139 chances last weekend, and they have committed only nine errors this season overall. LCU's .967 fielding percentage ranks No. 3 in the LSC, behind only Angelo State (.986) and UT Tyler (.972). Seven different Lubbock Christian players have handled at least five chances this season without committing an error.
 
STREAKS AND MULTIS
Two Lubbock Christian players have recorded a hit in every game this season, and a third has reached base in all eight contests. The two with eight-game hit streaks are Acosta and Jarred Gibson, who boast identical .444 batting averages for the year. Gibson also leads the team with four multi-hit games. They have all been two-hit performances. Three different Chaps have had a three-hit game this year, but no LCU player has reached four in one contest yet. Navarro has reached base in all eight games, and the Panama native has reached base in 46 straight games dating back to last season. The last game he did not reach base in was on Feb. 22, 2021, against St. Mary's.
 
FRIENDLY CONFINES
The Chaparrals play a total of 26 home games this season, including the next six straight. Originally dedicated on April 29, 1978 as Chaparral Stadium, the complex was renamed Hays Field in 1999 to honor the L.D., Pearl, Larry, and Daren Hays families for their dedication and commitment to the ideals and values of Lubbock Christian University. The playing dimensions of Hays Field measure 340 feet down the lines, 380 feet to the power alleys, and 400 feet to straight away center. LCU was 10-11 on their own turf last year and the program is 1,119-339 in home games all-time.
 
2000 AND COUNTING
Since the inception of LCU's baseball program in 1971, the Chaparrals have been one of the best baseball teams at whatever level they were playing. Lubbock Christian has played 3,244 games throughout all those years, posting an overall program record of 2,173 wins and 1,071 losses in that time. For the last 18 seasons, it has been head coach Nathan Blackwood leading the program, and he has a 694-312 record in that time. With just two more wins, he will surpass Larry Hays and become the all-time leader in that category.
 
SCOUTING THE RATTLERS

• St. Mary's lost three games at home to Oklahoma Christian in its opening series of the year but bounced back with two wins this past weekend, including a victory against No. 3 Central Missouri
• The Rattlers have a team ERA of 6.12, which ranks ninth in the conference
• Ryan McGowen is the team's leading hitter with a batting average of .375. Of his six total hits, four have gone for doubles
• StMU game one starting pitcher Dylan Bells is the reigning LSC Pitcher of the Week, after throwing 6.0 innings of shutout ball against Arkansas Tech last week
• Chris Ermis is in his first season as the Rattler head coach, but he has served as the team's pitching coach for 25 years. He replaced Charlie Migl, who retired earlier this year after 35 years leading the St. Mary's program

 
THE SERIES WITH THE RATTLERS
Lubbock Christian and St. Mary's have faced off a total of 47 times total, with the Chaps leading the all-time series 25-22. They first met in 1978 but played sparingly during LCU's NAIA days. They have faced off every season since 2014 though, when LCU became an NCAA and Heartland Conference member. The series has been pretty evenly balanced as of late. In the 13 games played between the two teams since the start of the 2019 season, LCU has won six and lost seven. In 2021, the Chaps were swept in three games against the Rattlers during the regular season, but won 12-6 in a matchup at the Lone Star Conference tournament.