LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (27-12, 25-12, LSC) vs.
CAMERON (12-25, 12-23 LSC)
Friday, April 15 – 2 p.m. (DH)
McCord Field – Lawton, Oklahoma
 
LEADING OFF
For first time this season, Lubbock Christian University enters the doubleheader portion of a weekend Lone Star Conference series trying to bounce back from a loss. The Chaps have only lost one other season-opener this year, but it came in the first series of the season when weather forced the series to be played as back-to-back doubleheaders. LCU did bounce back from that series-opening loss with a win in their second game of Opening Day, and they will try to do the same Friday in Lawton.
 
STARTING PITCHING MATCHUP
Game One
LCU – Coming of yet another complete game, Ethan Coombes will start game one of the doubleheader for the Chaparrals. Pitching against his former team (Eastern New Mexico) last week, Coombes allowed just two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out eight in a 20-2 win in favor of the Chaps. The right-hander has been effective this season, posting a 5.44 ERA in 48.0 innings of work. He has allowed 29 runs on 42 hits. Coombes leads the Chaps and ranks eighth in the conference with 54 strikeouts, but he has also walked 32 batters, which is the second-most of any league pitcher.
 
CU – It will be Marcos Feria heading to the mound for the Aggies in game one of the doubleheader. The right-hander has made nine starts this year along with a pair of relief appearances. He is 0-6 in those appearances and has an ERA of 9.00 in 36.0 innings of work. Feria has allowed 39 total runs on 42 hits. He has good enough stuff to have notched 40 strikeouts on the year and held opponents to a .280 batting average, but he has also walked 20 and leads his team with nine hit batters. Feria has shown the ability to dominate though, tossing 6.1 innings with no earned runs allowed on just three hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts earlier this month against Oklahoma Christian.
 
Game Two
LCU – It'll be the Shandon Herrera show in game two, as the senior tries to bounce back from a rough outing at home last week. The Odessa, Texas native has an ERA of 6.36 on the year in 46.2 innings pitched. He has allowed 59 hits and a .316 opponent's batting average, giving up 39 total runs in his time on the mound. Herrera has 34 strikeouts and 25 walks. Herrera's home/road splits are almost unbelievable, with the right-hander posting an ERA of 11.64 at Hays Field (19.1 IP) and an ERA of 2.63 away from home (27.1 IP).
 
CU – Cameron's team-leader in earned run average will take the mound in the nightcap as Drew Henderson gets the start. Henderson has a 3.16 ERA in 37.0 innings of work, having made five starts and four relief appearances. He is 3-3 overall with 24 runs allowed on 28 hits and an opponents' batting average of .201. He has struck out 30 batters but walked 21 as well. Henderson's defense didn't help him out much in his last start as he allowed nine runs but only two earned in 4.0 innings. He allowed six hits and four walks in the outing with three strikeouts.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
.236 | Coombes' opponent's batting average is the fifth-best in the Lone Star Conference this season. Henderson's of .201 in the third-best
14 | In the last five games, Lubbock Christian has allowed its opponents (Eastern New Mexico and Cameron to plate a total of 14 runs in within the first inning. In the first 33 games of the season, they had allowed a total of just 12 first-inning runs
.227 | Opponents are hitting just .227 against Herrera in road games, while he has allowed a .411 batting average at home
15 | George Mendazona was 2-5 at the plate on Thursday, extending his reached base streak to 15 straight games. He is now the team-leader in batting average at .392
2 | This weekend marks just the second time this season the Chaps have played a series on a grass/dirt field, and they committed two errors on the natural playing surface Thursday night