< Chaps Set to Face OCU in World Series
May 31, 2011
By: Kelly Robinson, Duster Advisor
LCU got stellar pitching performances from both Tyler Rogers and Tyler Curtis here Monday night and the Chaps defeated Sooner Athletic Conference rival Oklahoma City University 8-1 in the Avista-NAIA World Series. The win by LCU keeps the Chaps unbeaten in the 10-team event and they will now face the only other undefeated team in the tourney, LSU-Shreveport, at 9:00 pm (CST) on Tuesday night.
The Chaps got off to a great start against the Stars as Rogers went through the first inning without a baserunner, turning the game over to his offense. Chap second baseman Richard Bohlken got LCU on the board early with a two-out, two-run homer to right field that scored Ryan Meade. That start, says LCU head coach Nathan Blackwood, was key to the win.
"Tyler Rogers did a great job in getting us started with the top of the first and then Richard's home run was huge in us getting off to a fast start," said Blackwood, who saw his team lose all three regular season contests to OCU back in March. "Anytime you can get off to a good start like that it helps your confidence for sure. Then Tyler Curtis came in and was pretty good tonight. His outing was what we needed and it was good to see."
Rogers did a standout job on the mound through four innings before he gave way to Curtis in the middle of the fifth. All Curtis did was shut the Stars down the rest of the way, yielding just one hit and striking out seven straight batters at one point (tying a NAIA record) before he was replaced by Shane Ingram in the ninth. Curtis was the winning pitcher, improving his record to 9-3.
LCU (48-12 overall) had plenty of offense in the contest, led by the 4-for-5 outing of Meade. Catcher Nate Peterson, right fielder Chandler Griffin and designated hitter Dominic Piazza all recorded multi-hit games as well with Griffin and Piazza each recording a double in the victory.
"It was all working good tonight for us," said Curtis. "I was just out there throwing hard and trying to hit my spots and I seemed to be able to do that tonight. I think we're doing a good job on the mound and at the plate right now and that's been great so far."
LCU and LSU-Shreveport were scheduled to face each other earlier in the year, but inclement weather forced those games to be postponed. Little did anyone know the matchup would occur on the biggest stage that NAIA baseball has to offer.
"We don't know much about them since we haven't faced them," said Blackwood of the Pilots. "We've charted them in games here this week and we'll go to work on what we think we need to do and be ready to go (tonight). We just need to be ready to focus like we have in the first two games of the tournament and see what happens."
With the two wins in the tourney so far the LCU baseball program now has an overall record of 21-16 in their 10 World Series appearances.
May 31, 2011
By: Kelly Robinson, Duster Advisor
Curtis Leads Chaps to Win Over OCU in Series
Lewiston, ID - The Lubbock Christian University Chaparrals proved once again that they are, as a famous American Idol judge is known to say, "... in it to win it."
Tyler Curtis picked up the win in relief of Tyler Rogers as LCU beat OCU 8-1 in the NAIA World Series.
The Chaps got off to a great start against the Stars as Rogers went through the first inning without a baserunner, turning the game over to his offense. Chap second baseman Richard Bohlken got LCU on the board early with a two-out, two-run homer to right field that scored Ryan Meade. That start, says LCU head coach Nathan Blackwood, was key to the win.
"Tyler Rogers did a great job in getting us started with the top of the first and then Richard's home run was huge in us getting off to a fast start," said Blackwood, who saw his team lose all three regular season contests to OCU back in March. "Anytime you can get off to a good start like that it helps your confidence for sure. Then Tyler Curtis came in and was pretty good tonight. His outing was what we needed and it was good to see."
Rogers did a standout job on the mound through four innings before he gave way to Curtis in the middle of the fifth. All Curtis did was shut the Stars down the rest of the way, yielding just one hit and striking out seven straight batters at one point (tying a NAIA record) before he was replaced by Shane Ingram in the ninth. Curtis was the winning pitcher, improving his record to 9-3.
LCU (48-12 overall) had plenty of offense in the contest, led by the 4-for-5 outing of Meade. Catcher Nate Peterson, right fielder Chandler Griffin and designated hitter Dominic Piazza all recorded multi-hit games as well with Griffin and Piazza each recording a double in the victory.
"It was all working good tonight for us," said Curtis. "I was just out there throwing hard and trying to hit my spots and I seemed to be able to do that tonight. I think we're doing a good job on the mound and at the plate right now and that's been great so far."
LCU and LSU-Shreveport were scheduled to face each other earlier in the year, but inclement weather forced those games to be postponed. Little did anyone know the matchup would occur on the biggest stage that NAIA baseball has to offer.
"We don't know much about them since we haven't faced them," said Blackwood of the Pilots. "We've charted them in games here this week and we'll go to work on what we think we need to do and be ready to go (tonight). We just need to be ready to focus like we have in the first two games of the tournament and see what happens."
With the two wins in the tourney so far the LCU baseball program now has an overall record of 21-16 in their 10 World Series appearances.
