Baseball | 04.02.2022

LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (23-8, 21-8, LSC) vs.
WEST TEXAS A&M (25-6, 23-6 LSC)
Saturday, April 2 – 4 p.m. (DH)
Wilder Park – Canyon, Texas
 
LEADING OFF
For the seventh time (in eight tries) this season, Lubbock Christian University has won their series-opener and given themselves a chance to go win the series on Saturday. The Chaps' 8-5 win over West Texas A&M on Friday marked the third time this season the Buffs have dropped the series opener. The previous two times came against UT Tyler, a series they split, and against Oklahoma Christian, a series they came back and won. LCU will be trying to become the first team to beat WT in a series this season when they take the field for a doubleheader.
 
STARTING PITCHING MATCHUP
Game One
LCU – The shutout streak for Ethan Coombes will face its toughest test yet as the right-hander heads to the mound against the league's top-hitting offense. Coombes has not allowed a run in 14.0 straight innings of work, tossing back-to-back shutouts against Texas A&M-Kingsville and St. Edward's in his last two starts. The performances have lowered his overall ERA to 4.97 in 38.0 innings of work. The New Mexico native leads the team with 45 strikeouts and ranks third in the Lone Star Conference with an opponent's batting average of .227. The main struggle for Coombes this year has been command of the strikeout, tallying 26 walks on the year.
 
WT – Maddux Hoaglund is in line to get the start in the first game of the doubleheader for the Buffs, bringing in a 3-0 record and a 4.99 ERA in 39.2 innings of work. A right-hander, Hoaglund has allowed 25 runs on 19 walks and 40 hits while striking out a team-leading 55 batters. Opponents are batting .255 against him and he has allowed 14 extra-base hits. Last week against St. Mary's, the Indian Hills CC transfer lasted 3.2 innings, allowing two runs on two hits and three walks while striking out four.
 
Game Two
LCU – Shandon Herrera will look to bounce back from a tough outing last weekend as he takes the mound in the third game of the series. Herrera will be making his eighth start of the season, bringing in a 5.67 ERA in 39.2 innings of work. He is 3-2 on the year with 25 earned runs allowed on 52 hits and 19 walks. Opponents are hitting .325 against him and he has struck out 28 of them. Last week against St. Edward's, Herrera allowed four earned runs on eight hits and three walks in 4.0 innings of work. During the outing, the Odessa, Texas, native recorded the 100^th strikeout of his career.
 
WT – Jack Eagan struggled last weekend against St. Mary's but brings strong numbers to the game three matchup. He has a 4.07 ERA in 24.1 innings of work. He has allowed 14 runs on 19 hits and 15 walks with 40 strikeouts. His opponent's batting average of .209 is the best among the West Texas A&M starting rotation. The Rattlers chased him after 2.1 innings last weekend, scoring two runs on three hits and three walks while Eagan mustered just one strikeout.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
.405 | With four hits in five at-bats on Friday night, Chap senior Luis Navarro raised his batting average to .405, which ranks fifth-best in the Lone Star Conference
1.74 | In 20.2 innings of work in the month of March, Ethan Coombes posted an earned run average of 1.74 with 22 strikeouts and a .157 opponent's batting average
.346 | Despite dropping the first game of the series, WT actually out-hit LCU on Friday night and raised their league-leading team batting average to .346
5 | LCU turned five double plays on Friday night, matching a program mark that has been reached only three other times in school history
.365 | Likely facing a lefty in the nightcap of the doubleheader, the Chaps come in batting .365 as a team against southpaws this season