RICHARDSON, Texas (January 22, 2026) – The Lubbock Christian University baseball team was picked to finish third in the 2026 Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll, the league announced on Thursday.
 
The Chaparrals received a 510 points in the poll. Senior outfielder Kyle Lewis was named one of the league's Players to Watch, and senior right-hander Caden Cline was named a Pitcher to Watch.
 
UT Tyler, which won the South Central Region and advance to the Division II College World Series, was picked to win the league with 603 points. They were just barely ahead of last year's league champion Angelo State, who came in with 599 points. Both teams received exactly 20 first place votes.
 
St. Edward's is the next time behind Lubbock Christian with 501 points in the poll.
 
Lewis is entering his second season with the Chaps after batting .373 as a junior in 53 games played. The Lubbock native finished the season with 17 doubles, five triples and four home runs while reaching base at a .473 clip. He was a Third Team All-LSC selection.
 
Cline is new to the Chaparrals this season. Also a Lubbock native, Cline transferred to LCU from UT Arlington, where he limited opponents to a .275 batting average on the season. Prior to that, Cline pitched for two seasons at Midland College.
 
Lubbock Christian finished the 2025 season 34-23 overall, finishing fourth in the Lone Star Conference standings with a 30-18 league record. The Chaps reached the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season and sixth time in program history.