Baseball | 02.07.2022
LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (1-1. 1-1 LSC) vs.
ARKANSAS-FORT SMITH (1-1, 1-1 LSC)
Monday, Feb. 7 – 1 p.m.
Hays Field – Lubbock, Texas
LEADING OFF
The weather still wasn't what you would call good on Sunday afternoon, but it was good enough for Lubbock Christian University to finally begin their 2022 season with a pair of games against Arkansas-Fort Smith. They earned a doubleheader split on the first day of the season, reaching base at a .449 clip as a team in the first two games combined. Every Lone Star Conference series this season will feature four games, so the Chaps still have a chance to win the series on Monday if they can sweep the doubleheader that starts at 1 p.m.
STARTING PITCHING MATCUP
Game one
LCU – The Chaps will hand the ball to super-senior Shandon Herrara for game one of the series, which will be another seven-inning affair. An Odessa High School graduate, Herrera came to LCU as a freshman and has already pitched four seasons with the team. He pitched mostly out of the bullpen as a freshman and sophomore, but has moved into the starting rotation the past two seasons. Herrera went 6-2 in 13 appearances last year. He allowed just 44 earned runs on 63 hits in 51.2 innings of work. He walked just 28 batters while striking out 35, posting a WHIP of 1.76 for the season. He had his best outing of the season on March 12 at Texas A&M International, when he pitched 6.1 innings, allowing three runs with no walks and 11 strikeouts.
UAFS – It's just a guess as to who the Lions will give to ball to, but there are two more players who saw significant time as a starter last year and did not pitch on Sunday. The first is Lukas Petross, a 6-3 righty whose brother pitched out of the bullpen in game one of the series. Petross appeared 11 times last season, only twice as a starter, and posted a 5.64 ERA in 30.1 innings pitched. He walked 18, struck out 22 and opponents hit .315 against him.
Game Two
LCU –
Ethan Coombes will go to the mound for the series finale, making his first appearance in a Chaparral uniform. Coombes transferred to Lubbock Christian from Howard College, where he had a 5.66 ERA in 55.2 innings pitched and was 8-1. He does have experience pitching at the D-II level though, as he spent three seasons (one as a redshirt) at Eastern New Mexico. His last season with the Greyhounds (2020), he started six games striking out 42 batters in 35.2 innings pitched while posting a 4.29 ERA.
UAFS – The only other returning player on the Lion roster who started at all last year was Trevor Johnson, who had a 2.08 ERA, but in only 8.2 innings pitched. Five of those innings came against LCU on Feb. 6, when he sustained an injury. Johnson could be recovered, or we could see a new pitcher as the series finale starter
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
7-10 | After winds around 25 miles per hour blowing straight in from right field, the Chaps will get a bit of a respite today with winds predicted to stay below 10 mph
12 | LCU drew 12 walks in the nightcap of Sunday's game, which was their most in a single game since Feb. 24, 2018, when they drew 12 against Metro State in a 21-1 win
.750 | Jarred Gibson had the best start to the season of any Chap, reaching base in six of his eight plate appearances (three hits, two walks, one hit-by-pitch)
