Baseball | 05.01.2022
LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN (34-15, 32-15, LSC) vs.
UT TYLER (28-19, 2-19 LSC)
Sunday, May 1 – 1 p.m.
Irwin Field – Tyler, Texas
LEADING OFF
For just the second time all season, Lubbock Christian is entering the finale of a series needing to win to clinch a series split. The Chaps have split five other series so far this season, but in four of those, they entered the final game with a chance to win the series instead of a chance to lose it. The only other time this season they went into game four against a team down 2-1 was just a couple of weeks ago in Oklahoma, when Cameron took the first two games of the series and LCU took the last two. They will try and repeat that performance and win the finale Sunday against UT Tyler.
STARTING PITCHING MATCHUP
LCU –
Ty Stephenson will get the ball in the final game of the regular season for the Chaps, bringing a 5.14 ERA to the mound. He has brought that ERA down drastically in the last couple of weeks, not allowing a run in his last 13.1 innings of work against Cameron and UT Permian Basin. He has pitched 49.0 innings, allowing 38 runs on 58 hits with 20 walks and 31 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting .289 against him this season. Stephenson is leans heavily on the ground ball, especially when he is pitching well, getting 65 ground outs to just 42 flyouts on the year. He got 12 groundouts last week in his win against UT Permian Basin.
UTT – Nick Neibur will oppose Stephenson in the series finale after a solid performance last week against St. Mary's. Neibur lasted just 4.0 innings in the outing, but he allowed only one earned run and did not walk a batter while scattering six hits. For the season he has a 4.38 ERA in 51.1 innings of work, ranking second on his team in innings pitched. He has allowed 25 runs on 58 hits and 18 walks while striking out 40. Opponents are hitting .287 against him.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
.166 | LCU has just three hits in 18 chances with runners in scoring position this weekend, batting .167 in those situations
868 | The Chaps have 868 total bases as a team, which is the most in the conference and has surpassed their team total from the 2021 season
.270 | Chap starter Stephenson has been especially good against righties this season, holding them to a .270 batting average in 141 at-bats
50 | Assuming he plays on Sunday,
George Mendazona will be the only Chaparral to appear in all 50 games of the regular season
.681 | With their conference win percentage at .681, Lubbock Christian has clinched at least third place in the Lone Star Conference, holding off Texas A&M-Kingsville with Saturday's win
