"Be different" has been St. Edward's baseball theme all season. On Thursday, however, the Hilltoppers will open the NCAA Regional against a familiar opponent in a familiar setting, playing Lubbock Christian in Grand Junction, Colorado, the site of last season's regional run.
St. Edward's will seek revenge against Lubbock Christian after the Chaps eliminated the Hilltoppers from the Lone Star Conference Tournament in a constantly rain-delayed game that spanned two days.
The Hilltoppers fell behind three runs to Lubbock Christian on Friday before the game was postponed to the next day, came back, then lost 10-6.
"I think we're in a good spot. I like how we played on the first day of the conference tournament," St. Edward's head baseball coach Bryan Faulds says. "Friday was rough, but our entire goal after starting down 3-0 was to win the day on Saturday, and I liked how the guys responded. I look forward to getting back out there."
Lubbock Christian has hit .322 off St. Edward's in five games this season, posting batting averages of .400, .387, and .432 in three wins. The Chaps have leaned heavily on the long ball in the match-up, hitting 13 total against the Hilltoppers.
The Chaps are one of the top-hitting teams in the nation, ranking seventh in batting average (.339), eighth in doubles (133), fourth in hits (636), and seventh in runs scored (508).
Carson Ogilvie and Eduardo Acosta have paced Lubbock Christian with All-Region selections. Still, Brevin McCool has been one of the biggest thorns in the Hilltoppers' side with a 3-for-5 performance in the 12-6 Chaps' win in the series opener and a 4-for-5 performance in the LSC Championships.
St. Edward's is a little more balanced, with a pitching staff that ranks second in the LSC in ERA, compared to Lubbock Christian's seventh-best ERA in the conference. However, the Hilltoppers counter Lubbock Christian's bats with a pair of strikeout artists in LUKE SHORT (124) and WESLEY GAFFORD (99), who earned All-Region First and Second Team honors.
Short dominated his game against Lubbock Christian, striking out 12 in a 6-2 win. Gafford struggled in his lone start against Lubbock Christian but has been on a tear in recent weeks with 17 strikeouts over 12 innings in his past two starts.
LANCE LITTLE, CONNOR COX, and KYLER KERLIN have all hit better than .400 against Lubbock Christian, with Little, an All-Region Second Team selection, posting a .882 slugging percentage with a pair of doubles, a pair of home runs, eight RBIs, and six runs scored.
"They're a familiar opponent. We played them four times in conference play and then last week. It's always good to play an opponent you know well," Faulds says. "And we know Colorado Mesa from last year. They have a new offensive lineup but a few returners. We're comfortable with the field and how it plays. We're excited to get back up there and hopefully be able to win it."
Last year, St. Edward's lost a 4-1 decision to Colorado Mesa with JACK GRANACK on the mound, then forced a third game after defeating them 7-4 with Short picking up the win. Colorado Mesa ended St. Edward's season with a decisive victory, hitting four home runs and drawing ten walks.
Colorado Mesa has the highest batting average in Division II (.376), has hit the second-most home runs (98), and scored the second-most runs (612). They complement that run production with the third-best ERA in the South Central Region (5.03), trailing only Angelo State (3.61) and St. Edward's (4.89).
St. Edward's traveled to Colorado early in the season to acclimate to the elevation, beating CSU-Pueblo twice by a combined 26-7. It hopes that translates to Mesa's bigger crowds and the higher stakes.
"There's a reason we went to Colorado to get used to going out there. The ball carries a little more, and the air's a little different up there. I liked how our guys played, so we're excited to return," Faulds explains. "One thing about Mesa is there's going to be a great crowd. There will be a couple thousand people or more, and they're going to be all for Mesa. So, it's a fun environment. But I think us playing at Angelo when it mattered with 3,500 people will get us ready for this regional."
Colorado Mesa has six All-Region players, including First-Team selections Julian Boyd, Liam Hohenstein, and reliever Anthony Durbano, and Second-Team selections Harrison Rodgers, Conrad Villafuerte, and starting pitcher Kannon Handy.
"We need to make the routine play. It's the same thing we talked about all year, throwing strikes, getting ahead in the count, and getting timely hits," Faulds says. "That's the name of the game, and usually, teams that do those things the best win the game."
St. Edward's plays Lubbock Christian at 3:00 p.m. CST.
