LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (16-5, 14-5, LSC) at
TEXAS A&M INTERNATIONAL (10-15, 10-13 LSC)
Monday, March 14 – 1 p.m.
Hays Field – Lubbock, Texas
 
LEADING OFF
It's always good when you get to enter the final game of a series having already won it, and that is exactly the spot Lubbock Christian University finds itself in against Texas A&M International. The Chaps have scored 43 runs on 44 hits through the first three games of the series and will look to keep the bats hot as they go for the sweep on Monday. LCU only has one four-game sweep under its belt so far this season, taking all four games at Oklahoma Christian Feb. 11-13.
 
STARTING PITCHING MATCHUP
LCU – The lanky lefty Armando Valle will get the start in the finale for the Chaps, making his fourth start and sixth appearance overall this season. He has been dominant at some points and struggled at others, posting an 8.49 ERA in his first 11.2 innings of work. Valle has allowed 15 hits but struggled with command at times to the tune of 15 walks. His stuff is excellent when he's on, as evidenced by the 15 Ks in his brief time on the mound this year. Valle's best outing of the season came in that sweep at OC, where he started the series opener and limited the Eagles to one earned run in 5.2 innings of work with eight strikeouts.
 
TAMIU – Joseph Garza-Delapena has made a start in every series the Dustdevils have played this season and hasn't appeared yet this weekend, so he seems to be the probable starting pitcher. A senior right-hander, Garza-Delapena boasts a 5.48 ERA in 23.0 innings of work and is 3-1 on the mound. All 14 of the runs he has allowed have been earned on 22 hits and eight walks. He does average nearly a strikeout per inning (21 total) and his opponent's batting average of .247 is the best on the TAMIU staff. Las week in his start against St. Mary's, Garza-Delapena allowed four runs on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts in 6.0 innings pitched.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
144 | A key contributor on the pitching staff for the past two seasons, Valle has spent 116.2 innings on the mound in his LCU career with 144 strikeouts in that time
.601 | The Chaps have clubbed 46 doubles, seven home runs and 38 home runs this season for a slugging percentage of .601, which leads the LSC by 80 percentage points
8 | Lubbock Christian has won eight of its last 10 games, with the only two losses in that time coming at No. 17 Angelo State
20-22 | The wind has been blowing out (S-SW) at Hays Field for the first three games of the series but will change directions and blow in (N) upwards of 20 mph during the series finale
.300 | LCU has seven players regularly in the starting lineup who have a batting average above the .300 mark