Series Schedule Feb. 14-16 at Lubbock's Hays Field: Game 1: Friday, 3 p.m.; Game 2: Saturday, 2 p.m.; Game 3: Sunday, 2 p.m. MEDIA COVERAGE:  Live Stats  //  Video  //  Ram Stats  //  @Angelo Sports

SAN ANGELO – The No. 22-ranked Angelo State baseball team returns to action with a three-game series against Lubbock Christian this weekend at Hays Field in Lubbock.

ASU (5-0), which is the only unbeaten Lone Star Conference baseball team after the first two weekends of play, is coming off a three-game sweep last weekend against Texas A&M International after starting the season by taking two games from McMurry. The Rams have outscored their opponents 43-11 through five games. The Chaps (3-3) are in their first season in Division II and opened the year by taking two of three from Adams State before dropping two of three from New Mexico Highlands last weekend.

The Chaps took two of three from the Rams last season at Foster Field and own a 4-3 advantage in the all-time series between the two programs. The series at LCU will wrap up an eight-game road trip to start the season for the Rams who open their home schedule against Colorado School of Mines next weekend at Foster Field. The 5-0 start to the season matches the best start to a season in program history. The 2012 team began its season at 6-0 before taking its first loss.

ASU PITCHING PROBABLES
G1: Jake Feckley (RHP, Sr., 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 12 K, 2 BB, 13.0 IP)
G2: Jason Zgardowski (RHP, Jr., 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 8 K, 0 BB, 5.0 IP)
G3: Trae Davis (RHP, Sr., 1-0, 3.24 ERA, 7 K, 5 BB, 8.1 IP)
 
ANGELO STATE RAM REPORT (5-0)
Angelo State will start the series with Jake Feckley on the mound in the first game against Lubbock Christian. Feckley is 2-0 this season and has been named the Lone Star Conference Pitcher of the Week after the first two weeks of the season. A right-hander from Wylie, Feckley is 17-8 in his career and is one victory away from passing Joseph Key and Kenny Elkind for the program's all-time wins record. He has not given up an earned run this season and has 12 strikeouts in 13.0 innings of work.

"He has been consistent at a very high level throughout his time here at Angelo State," Brooks said. "He is very similar to Kenny in their stuff and their makeup as pitchers. Joe played a lot of roles for us, but they are all very similar in that they can throw the ball hard with great secondary pitches to get guys out. They all were and are hard workers and great competitors."

Feckley will be making his 25th start at ASU and 34th appearances after pitching at Texas A&M as a freshman. He has 124 strikeouts and only 36 walks in 152.2 innings pitched for the Rams in his career. He currently ranks fourth on the all-time strikeouts list at ASU with Michael Gunter's 127 strikeouts from 2007-09 next to be surpassed by Feckley. Key is the all-time strikeouts leader at ASU with 212 with Elkind second with 146. Feckley was named the NCBWA DII South Central Pitcher of the Week after his dominant performance against McMurry in the season-opener.

Jason Zgardowski (0-0), a junior right-hander from San Antonio, will make his first start at ASU in Saturday's game. He has eight strikeouts, no walks and has allowed only three hits in 5.0 innings out of two appearances out of the bullpen. Trae Davis (1-0), a senior in his first season at ASU after pitching the past three seasons at Baylor, will make his third start of the season on Sunday. He has seven strikeouts and five walks through his first two starts. He has a 3.24 ERA and is 1-0 after picking up a win over McMurry in his first start.

Miles Gully and Dillon Becker both picked up their first wins at ASU in relief appearances against TAMIU. Gully made his first appearance a memorable one, striking out five and giving up only one hit in 2.2 innings of work for the victory. Becker threw 1.2 innings and earned the win after the Rams scored four runs in the top of the seventh in the series opener in Laredo. Becker has three strikeouts in two outings and 2.0 innings of work. Jamie MacLean and Jake Albert have both made two appearances without allowing a run. MacLean has three strikeouts in 2.1 innings of work, while Eric Monson has two strikeouts in 1.1 innings. The Rams have a pitching staff ERA of 1.76 with 42 strikeouts and only 19 walks through the first 41.0 innings this season.  

"We can't walk guys because LCU is a team that is going to get its hits," Brooks said. "We don't want guys on base when they get their hits. That's the biggest thing we need to do. We've been really good defensively and I think we'll be in good shape as long as we limit their ability by not giving them anything that we can control."

The Rams have also produced LSC Hitters of the Week the first two weeks of the season with Brett David and Tyler Coughenour both earning conference recognition after strong performances at the plate. David earned it this week after providing seven hits, including three doubles in Laredo. A junior from El Paso, David leads the Rams with a .615 batting average and has three RBI and eight hits in 13 at-bats.

Coughenour, a senior from Wichita, Kan., is hitting .526 with a home run, two triples and two doubles. An LSC second-team utility player last season, Coughenour lead the Rams with five stolen bases in six attempts. David Goggin has seven hits with five RBI, while freshman Nehwon Norkeh has provided eight hits and five RBI through his first five collegiate games. He last hit against TAMIU was a towering shot to left field for a three-run home. Norkeh has a two triples in the second game against McMurry, becoming the first Ram to accomplish that since Nate Hemm did it on April 21, 2007 against Texas A&M-Kingsville for ASU.

Hunter Choate is hitting .368 with seven hits and five RBI in his sophomore season, while Derek Tyner and Blake Bass have five hits each in their first five games at ASU. Reggie Rodriguez has four RBI and four hits, while Christian Summers has two RBI and three hits. Rodriguez provided the heroics last season against LCU, blasting a two-run walk-off home run to dead center field for an 8-7 win over the Chaps in the second of three games. Summers, who is a .320 hitter in his career at Angelo State, has one double so far this season and 20 in 206 at-bats at ASU. Cameron Massengill, who has started four of five games at catcher, has five defensive assists and has produced four hits and two RBI in his first season at ASU.

ASU is hitting .369 as a team with 13 doubles, four triples, two home runs and 43 singles. The Rams have stolen 11 bases and have reached base 13 times on walks.
 
LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN CHAP REPORT (3-3)
LCU enters this weekend following dropping a three-game series to New Mexico Highlands after earning an 18-8 win in the opener before falling 3-2 and 18-6 in the final two games in Las Vegas, N.M. The Chaps started the season by taking two of three from Adams State at home.

The Chaps will go with the probable rotation of Sam Fry (0-0), Brig Gerlich (2-0) and Tim Carlson (0-1) this weekend against the Rams. Gerlich, a junior RHP from Seguin, has had a strong start to the season with wins over Highlands and Adams State. He is coming off a four strikeout, no walk outing against NMU after throwing 6.2 innings with six strikeouts and no walks against Adams. Fry will be making his first start of the season after giving up four runs in 0.1 innings of relief work in his only other appearance this season. He's a senior RHP from Everman who started his collegiate career at Temple College. Carlson (0-1) will make his second start and third appearance in the series finale. He has thrown 7.0 innings this season and has two strikeouts and has allowed eight hits.  

Jesse Pintado, a sophomore from Florida, leads the Chaps with eight hits this season, including a double and home run. Joel Lutz has seven RBI  on six hits through 19 at-bats of his senior season. A 6-foot-3 infielder, Lutz played at Henderson State before transferring to LCU. He leads the Chaps with two home runs and three doubles. Wigberto Nevarezand Hunter McFall have added six hits each, while Tanner Rainey has seven walks through six games.

As a team, LCU is hitting .304 with its opponents at .292. They have six home runs in six games and 10 doubles. They have also shown patience at the plate by taking 26 walks (4.3 per game).

Nathan Blackwoood is in his 11th season as the head baseball coach at Lubbock Christian.