West Texas A&M (22-12, 22-12) vs. Lubbock Christian (18-16, 18-16 LSC)
Game 1	Saturday, April 2 at 4:00 p.m.
Game 2 & 3	Friday, April 3 at 2:00 p.m. (DH)
Game 4	Saturday, April 4 at 1:00 p.m.
Location	Canyon, Texas | Wilder Park
Live Statistics	Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4
Live Video (FloCollege)	FloCollege
Other Links	Game Notes

CANYON, Texas – The Buffaloes of West Texas A&M return to the Panhandle this weekend for a four-game Lone Star Conference series against the Lubbock Christian Chaps beginning on Thursday afternoon with first pitch set for 4:00 p.m. at Wilder Park.
 
A LOOK AT THE CHAPS
Lubbock Christian enters the weekend 18-16 on the year as they sit seventh in the Lone Star Conference standings with four weekend remaining in the regular season. LCU is coming off a series victory over St. Edward's last weekend at Hays Field.
 
The Chaps are hitting .308 on the season with 252 runs scored on 328 hits with 72 doubles, 11 triples and 42 homeruns to drive in 227 RBI for a slugging percentage of .515. Jorge De Los Santos leads the way offensively for the Chaps as the junior catcher from Monterey, Mexico is hitting .388 with seven doubles and four homeruns to drive in 28 RBI for a slugging percentage of .573 to go along with 24 walks and 17 strikeouts for an on-base clip of .522 while also stealing 20-of-23 bases.
 
Lubbock Christian enters the weekend with a team ERA of 6.86, allowing 229 runs (202 earned) on 304 hits with 138 walks and 224 strikeouts during their 265.0 innings for an opposing batting average of .290. Junior righty Aaron Rubio is the projected game three starter as the Las Vegas product is 5-1 on the year with a 3.50 ERA, allowing 19 runs (18 earned) on 49 hits with 10 walks and 39 strikeouts in his 46.1 innings for an opposing batting average of .277 as he has tossed a pair of complete games.
 
LCU HEAD COACH NATHAN BLACKWOOD
Nathan Blackwood is now in his 23rd season at the helm of the LCU baseball program, holding an overall record of 854-406 (.668). Blackwood is the program's all-time wins leader, passing legendary LCU head coach Larry Hays in 2022. The Chaps have made six appearances in the NCAA Division II Postseason (2016, 2017, 2019, 2023, 2024, 2025). Blackwood led the Chaps to four trips to the NAIA World Series highlighted by an NAIA National Championship in 2009.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Lubbock Christian holds a 55-25 advantage in the all-time series against the Buffs dating back to 1994. The Chaps are 19-12 in Canyon with their last trip coming in 2024.
 
WT HEAD COACH CORY HALL
Cory Hall is in his second season at the helm of the West Texas A&M Baseball program after being promoted to head coach in the Summer of 2024. The first season under Hall's leadership saw the Buffaloes finish 31-21 with a 29-19 mark in Lone Star Conference play, advancing to the LSC Championships for the 14th time in program history.
 
Hall spent 14 seasons as the top assistant and pitching coach for the Buffaloes. Hall has had four different pitchers (Austin Moore, Josh Payne, Marshall Kasowski, Joe Corbett) drafted in the Major League Baseball Draft during his time in Canyon with multiple other professional players learning under one of the top pitching minds in collegiate baseball.
 
WT COACHING STAFF
Shawn Neale was elevated to Associate Head Coach in the Summer of 2025 as the Toronto native returns for his 10th season in Canyon. WT ranked 13th nationally in batting average along with 6th in triples, 11th in slugging percentage, 15th in on-base percentage, 21st in scoring, 27th in doubles, 41st in homeruns, and 47th in hits.
 
Ryan Cantrell joined the West Texas A&M Baseball coaching staff in August following five seasons as the pitching coach and lead recruiter at Cerro Coso Community College in California. Nollan Koon is in his second season in the dugout for the Buffaloes as a graduate assistant coach.
 
LONE STAR CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL
West Texas A&M Baseball has been selected fifth in the 2026 Lone Star Conference Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll announced on January 22nd.
 
Defending South Central Regional Champion UT Tyler picked up 20 of the possible 42 first place votes to sit atop of the poll with 603 points followed by Angelo State (20 first place, 599), Lubbock Christian (510), St. Edward's (501), West Texas A&M (474), St. Mary's (404), Texas A&M-Kingsville (1 first place, 389), Eastern New Mexico (326), UT Permian Basin (249), Texas A&M International (1 first place, 246), UT Dallas (243), Oklahoma Christian (181), Cameron (164) and Sul Ross State (67).
 
UT Tyler senior shortstop Drew Schmidt was named the league's Preseason Pitcher of the Year while Caden Copeland of UTT was tabbed the LSC Preseason Pitcher of the Year. Tristin Thomas and Cade Griffin of West Texas A&M were selected to the Preseason Players to Watch List. The preseason poll and preseason players of the year are voted on by LSC head coaches, sports information directors and media members.
 
NCBWA DIVISION II TOP-25 POLL
Tampa claimed 15 of the possible 20 first place votes to move back atop of the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Assocation (NCBWA) Division II Top-25 Poll announced on Wednesday afternoon. Colorado Mesa claimed five first place votes for 484 points to sit second followed by Catawba (451), Central Missouri (438), Pittsburg State (379), Grand Valley State (376), Point Loma (375), Young Harris (342), West Chester (317) and Cal State Monterey Bay (289) to round out the top ten.
 
The South Central Region was represented by Colorado Mesa (2nd), UT Tyler (11th), St. Mary's (18th), UT Dallas (RV) and MSU Denver (RV).
 
THIS IS LSC BASEBALL
Due to being NCAA Division II provisional members, UTD and SRSU are not eligible for the LSC baseball tournament but are able to win the LSC regular season title and postseason awards.
 
The LSC baseball tournament's opening round is scheduled for May 1-3 (Friday-Sunday) at the site of the league's No. 2, 3 and 4 seed. The championship round is set for May 8-10 (Friday-Sunday) at the league's No. 1 seed. The NCAA Division II South Central Regional is scheduled for May 14-17 with the Super Regional following on May 21-23. The NCAA Division II Baseball Championship is set for May 29-June 6 at USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C.
 
WATCH LIVE
Fans can watch LSC baseball games all season on FloCollege. Monthly and yearly subscriptions are available. The LSC and FloSports reached a historic agreement in August for the largest streaming rights deal in NCAA Division II history.
 
LSC NEWS & NOTES
There is a tie for first place in the 2026 Lone Star Conference baseball standings at 26-8: No. 18 UT Tyler and new league member UT Dallas. The two teams have combined to win 17 games in a row (UTD has the top streak with nine).
 
No. 14 St. Mary's (25-9) is alone in third place after taking three games from fifth-place West Texas A&M (22-12). Angelo State is in fourth place at 23-11. UT Tyler has not lost a series all season. UTD leads the league in hitting (.337) and fielding percentage (.973), while UT Tyler is tops in pitching (4.00 ERA)