LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (18-5, 16-5, LSC) at
TEXAS A&M KINGSVILLE (16-7, 14-7 LSC)
Friday, March 18 – 2 p.m. (DH)
Nolan Ryan Field – Kingsville, Texas
 
LEADING OFF
Lubbock Christian University secured a win in the series opener on Thursday and once again has the chance to go ahead and win the series on the doubleheader day. This has been a common theme for the Chaparrals, who have won the series opener every weekend this season except for the very first one, when they lost their Opening Day matchup against Arkansas-Fort Smith. The Javelinas are one of just four teams (besides LCU) with a winning record in the Lone Star Conference, making this an important battle for the league standings, and, down the road, the regional rankings.
 
STARTING PITCHING MATCHUP
Game One
LCU – Ty Stephenson will be on the mound in the second game of the series, making his sixth appearance of the year. Stephenson has an ERA of 7.88 in 16.0 innings of work this season. He has allowed 21 runs (14 earned) on 24 hits and 12 walks. Opponents are hitting .338 against the right-hander, and he has struck out 13 of them. Stephenson is also tied for the team lead with seven hit batters. In his last outing, he allowed just two runs on two hits and three walks with a pair of strikeouts in a no-decision against Texas A&M-International. The senior has not gone more then 4.0 innings on the mound this season.
 
TAMUK – Right-hander Kobe Jarmillo was the starter in game two last week and is slated to take the mound Friday against the Chaparrals in the top half of the doubleheader. The sophomore hurler has had some tough luck this season, with 14 runs allowed and only five of them earned for an ERA of 2.21 in 20.1 innings of work. He has allowed 22 hits, which is the second-most out of any Javelina pitcher, along with 10 walks though. He does have 29 strikeouts though, and opponents are hitting just .256 against him overall. Last week he lasted 3.0 innings against St. Mary's, allowing just one earned run but five overall on six hits and two walks.
 
Game Two
LCU – It will be Shandon Herrera pitching for the Chaps in, who comes in with a 5.97 ERA and a 2-1 record in five starts and 28.2 innings of work. Opponents are hitting .313 against him and he has allowed a team-high 28.2 hits, but he has struck out 15 batters as well. Herrera has been especially good on the road this season though, posting an ERA of 2.03 in 13.1 innings of work away from home. He threw a complete-game with just one run allowed at Oklahoma Christian the second week of the season, and has given up just two extra-base hits on the road this season. Last week against Texas A&M International, Herrera allowed seven earned runs on 11 hits with five strikeouts.
 
TAMUK – The Javelinas will send their first lefty starter to the mound in the nightcap as Logan Garza will begin the game. Garza has a 4.22 ERA in 21.1 innings of work. He is allowing less than a batter an inning to reach base with a 0.84 WHIP, and opponents are hitting just .173 against him for the year. He has 21 strikeouts and just five walks. Garza's last start was his worst though, as St. Mary's touched him up for five runs on seven hits and two walks in 4.1 innings. He struck out just four batters in the appearance.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
.542 | Luis Navarro caught a Javelina runner stealing in the bottom of the fifth inning of last night's game. It was his third of the season and lowered LCU's stolen base allowed percentage to .542 which leads the LSC
5 | The Chaps have won five straight games and with a win in the first game of the doubleheader can match their longest win streak of the season
.267 | Game two starter Shandon Herrera has been especially good at keeping leadoff batters from reaching against him with just eight getting on 30 chances for a .267 on-base percentage
22 | With a single and two walks in Thursday night's win, Jarred Gibson remains the only Chaparral to have reached base in all 22 games this season
3 | TAMUK's Giancarlo Servin was on base more than any other Javelina batter in the series-opener, homering in the second inning and walking twice