LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (33-13, 31-13, LSC) vs.
UT TYLER (26-18, 26-18 LSC)
Friday, April 29 – 7 p.m.
Irwin Field – Tyler, Texas
 
LEADING OFF
It seems like not long ago that Lubbock Christian was opening up the 2022 season with a four-game series against Arkansas-Fort Smith, but the end of the regular season is already here. The Chaps will hit the road for their final four games before the postseason, taking on UT Tyler for a series at Irwin Field. The final series of the weekend still has implications for the standings and Lone Star Conference Championships, which start next weekend. LCU is guaranteed a spot in the postseason tournament already but is trying to hold off Texas A&M-Kingsville, who is right behind them in the standings. The Chap magic number with the Javelinas is two, meaning they need a combination of two LCU wins or TAMUK losses.
 
THE CHAPARRAL NINE

• Lubbock Christian has gotten nine complete games from pitchers, which is the most in the LSC
• LCU's slugging percentage of .566 is also the sixth-best mark in all of NCAA Division II
• The Patriots are tied for the LSC's best team ERA at 4.49 and opponents bat .262 against them
• This will be Lubbock Christian's first-ever trip to UT Tyler
• UTT is currently fifth in the league standings with an LSC record of 26-18 (.591)
• Eduardo Acosta ranks No. 6 nationally in runs scored with 64
• The Chaps are in line to host a first round series in the conference tournament next week at Hays Field
• LCU pitched a pair of shutouts last week, holding the Falcons to a .219 batting average

 
PITCHING IN
The Chaparral pitching staff had one of their best weekends of the season last week when taking on UT Permian Basin in four games. Eight LCU hurlers combined for a 3.21 ERA, two shutouts, 27 strikeouts and a .219 opponent's batting average in 28.0 innings of work. Ethan Coombes, Ty Stephenson, Shandon Herrera and Armando Valle were the starters used, with Coombes tossing one complete-game shutout (on one hit) and Stephenson and reliever Cade Acrey combining for the other. The strong performance lowered the staff ERA to 5.81, which ranks seventh in the conference. LCU's starting pitchers have been slightly better than the overall mark, boasting a 5.49 ERA in 227.2 innings of work.
 
WITH GREAT POWER…
LCU clubbed 15 doubles, four triples and three home runs against the Falcons, raising their already league-leading percentage to .580. That mark also ranks good enough for sixth in all of NCAA Division II. The Chaps also rank 16^th in doubles with 103 and sixth in triples with 21. Their 68 home runs lead the LSC by a wide margin and the are the 15^th most among D-II programs. Chap center fielder Larry Leitha is first on the team and ranks fifth in the conference with a .716 slugging percentage. He has 16 doubles, a triple and 13 home runs. Luis Navarro, Acosta and George Mendazona all have their slugging percentage over the .600 mark as well.
 
REGIONALLY RECOGNIZED
The first NCAA regional rankings of the 2022 season were released this past Wednesday, giving us a first look at what the postseason could look like for the Chaps as the regular season winds down. LCU was fourth in that initial poll, behind No. 1-seed Colorado Mesa and fellow LSC members Angelo State and West Texas A&M at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively. Eight teams were revealed in the rankings, and six will advance to the NCAA South Central Regional after the conference tournament. Lubbock Christian has reached the NCAA postseason three times in school history, including their last trip in 2019. The regional is split in baseball, meaning the one seed will host the four and the five and the two seed hosts the three and the six.
 
TWIN KILLING
Last weekend, Lubbock Christian turned three more double plays, bringing their season total to 38. That is the second-most in the Lone Star Conference (behind St. Mary's) and ranks 10^th among NCAA Division II schools. Earlier this season, they turned five in one game against West Texas A&M, which tied the program record. LCU's pitchers do lean far more heavily on the ground ball, getting 388 groundouts to just 280 flyouts. Caden Hensley (2B) and Carson Ogilvie (SS) make up the middle infield, and George Mendazona has started all but one game at third base.
 
CAUGHT RED-HANDED
LCU has a stable of good catchers at their disposal this season, Navarro, Jarred Gibson and Jaxson Edwards behind the dish. The trio has combined to catch 18 runners stealing, which is tied for second in the conference. Furthermore, the Chaps have allowed opponents to steal bases at a success rate of just .700, which is the second-best mark in the conference. Gibson and Edwards have each caught six runners stealing, and Navarro is close behind with five. The senior from Panama has caught 38 runners stealing in his three seasons with the team.
 
 
WALK THIS WAY
In game three of the series against UT Permian Basin, Lubbock Christian hitter drew 16 walks in seven innings. The total was their most in a single game since February 20. 2011, when they walked 16 times in an 18-15 win over Lindenwood. Overall, the Chaps have walked 218 times this season, which is the fourth-most in the LSC and ranks No. 24 nationally. Mendazona leads the team in walks with 27, followed closely by Navarro and Caden Hensley, who have 26 each. Three other LCU players have at least 20 base on balls.
 
STREAKS AND MULTIS
Navarro has re-taken his spot atop the Chaparral squad in multi-hit games and now has 21 on the season. Mendazona and Acosta are right behind with 20 each. Navarro also leads the team in multi-RBI games with 14. Mendazona has the team's longest active reached base streak at an impressive 22 games. It ties Gibson for the longest reached base streak by a Chap hitter this season. Acosta has an active 12-game hitting streak for the longest on the team.
 
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
The Chaps have played five series on the road, going 13-7 in those 20 games. LCU's hitters have a .291 average on the road, led by Leitha's .357. There have been 37 doubles, six triples and 21 home runs hit in opposing ballparks. The pitching staff is slightly better on the road, with a 5.28 ERA and .251 batting average. Shandon Herrera's 3.41 road ERA leads the staff. Irwin Field is the home of UT Tyler baseball, featuring a natural grass playing surface and seating for 1,000 fans.
 
2000 & COUNTING
Since the inception of LCU's baseball program in 1971, the Chaparrals have been one of the best baseball teams at whatever level they were playing. Lubbock Christian has played 3,277 games throughout all those years, posting an overall program record of 2,200 wins and 1,082 losses in that time. For the last 18 seasons, it has been head coach Nathan Blackwood leading the program, and he has a 721-323 record in that time.
 
SCOUTING THE PATRIOTS

• UT Tyler is batting just below the .300 mark as a team at .299, which gives them the fifth-best hitting team in the conference
• The Patriots split their series last weekend against St. Mary's, winning the first two games before dropping the last two. Both losses were by just two runs
• UTT has just 23 homes runs on the year, which is the third-fewest in the LSC, ahead of only St. Mary's and Eastern New Mexico
• The Patriots are in their first season of postseason eligibility at the D-II level after transitioning over the last two seasons
• All three UT Tyler scheduled starting pitchers for the weekend have held opponents to batting averages lower than .300

 
THE SERIES WITH THE PATRIOTS
The rivalry between Lubbock Christian and UT Tyler is a new one, with just seven meetings between the two since the latter joined the NCAA Division II ranks in 2020. The Patriots have a 5-2 lead, with LCU having taking one game out of each of the series played between the teams. The Chap win in 2021 was a big one, as LCU trailed 8-0 early and scored 12 unanswered runs to come all the way back.