LCU baseball boosted by bevy of returning starters from 35-win team

Lubbock Christian University baseball coach Nathan Blackwood knew for most of the off-season what his team would look like to begin the 2024 season.

The Chaparrals return seven position players who started at least 45 games last season, led by first-team all-America shortstop Carson Ogilvie and three other all-conference hitters. Also back are three of the team's four regular starting pitchers, led by first-team all-conference lefthander Aydan Alger, and several bullpen pieces.

"It's a pretty veteran squad for sure," Blackwood said this week.

LCU, 35-23 a year ago, opens the season and Lone Star Conference action this weekend at Cameron. The teams are scheduled for the season opener in Lawton, Oklahoma, at 1 p.m. Friday, a doubleheader at noon Saturday and the series finale at 1 p.m. Sunday.

LCU went 29-19 in conference play last season, finishing in fourth place but five games out of third. Perhaps because the personnel on this team looks so much like the one on that team, the Chaps were slotted fourth in the preseason poll of conference coaches, sports information directors and media members.

However, LCU made the Division II NCAA Tournament, going 0-2 in the South Central Region bracket, and the Chaps are aiming high again.

"We feel like we should compete for a conference championship," Blackwood said, "being at least in the top three going into postseason. To me, anything less than that would be a little bit of a letdown, a disappointment, but we're obviously a long way from that point and it's a tough league for sure, starting with this weekend."

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The key personnel losses were left fielder Eduardo Acosta, who was a second-team all-America honoree by the American Baseball Coaches Association, and second baseman Caden Hensley. Acosta won the conference batting title with a .434 average to go along with nine home runs and 68 runs batted in.

Ogilvie (.404-8-47) led NCAA Division II in runs scored with 89.

Rejoining him on the infield are first baseman Nate Van Maanen (.366-13-74), third baseman Brevin McCool (.397-14-63) and catchers Jarred Gibson (.319-13-55) and Jaxson Edwards (.176-1-5). The frontrunner to take over at second is transfer Frayner Chavez (.331-4-41 last year at Midland College).

Returning center fielder Chris Shull (.358-14-58) figures to be flanked by Jacob Gutierrez in right field and newcomer Shea Bowen and returnee Hayden Blair (.286-1-20) in left field. Gutierrez, a Frenship graduate who was expected to start last year, missed nearly the entire 2023 season with a broken leg.

Bowen, a left-handed-hitting transfer, led Shasta College in virtually every offensive category last season, including average (.396), homers (nine) and RBI (47). However, he got hit in the face by a ball during an intrasquad scrimmage, requiring oral surgery that will cause him to miss the first two weeks of the season, Blackwood said.

Ryan Ball (.287-5-30) and newcomer Rhett Clark (.375-10-75 at Midland College) will vie for time as utility players and at designated hitter.

Shull was second-team all-LSC last season. Van Maanen and McCool were third-team all-LSC.

"I think we've got a chance to be as offensive (as last year's team), at times maybe better," Blackwood said. "But Acosta, anytime you lose a bat like that, it takes some time to really get the feel right and make sure we're filling that (No. 3) spot in the lineup correctly."

Alger (8-2, 5.40 earned-run average), Ryan Markwardt (6-6, 4.60) and Andrew Duran (6-5, 6.78) made 15, 14 and 13 starts, respectively, last season. Sophomore Chris Rhoades made strides in summer ball after last season, Blackwood said, and is ticketed for the No. 2 spot in the rotation to open the season. Alger and Markwardt are lefthanders, Duran and Rhoades righthanders.

Providing rotation depth are two junior-college transfers: Murphy Bostick started eight of his 12 appearances last year at Grayson College, going 2-0 with a 4.54 ERA. Aidan Moore made 13 starts last season at Seward (Kan.) College and was 5-6 with a 6.09 ERA.

Blackwood had Littlefield graduate Chris Brown penciled in as the closer, but he was shut down with soreness after Monday's workout and is not expected to pitch on opening weekend. Brown came to LCU from Howard College, where he was 1-3 with two saves in 2023.

"If he's healthy, he's got a good chance of being a back-end guy," Blackwood said.

Liam Scott, 4-8 with a 6.09 ERA last year as a starter at Clarendon College, also is being viewed as a potential high-leverage reliever. New Mexico transfer Alec Stanfield came to LCU to start the spring semester.

Among the returning relievers are appearances leader Josh Akers (3-0, 8.64) from Frenship and saves leaders Tyler Manyo (0-1, 6.75, four saves) and Coleson Abel (1-1, 7.48, two saves). Blackwood said he expects senior righthander Colton Brown from Frenship to be "an impact guy for us."

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: LCU baseball boosted by bevy of returning starters from 35-win team