BELLEVUE – Each week in the Western Athletic Conference is more important than the last as California Baptist University baseball looks to keep and even build on its first-place standing in the league.

This weekend's series at Seattle U will be no different for the Lancers, who have won six-straight games and are coming off a home series sweep of Utah Valley. CBU took over as the undisputed top team in the WAC with a 25-11 overall and 17-3 conference record, as Grand Canyon is one game off in second place at 23-15-1 and 16-4. The Lopes will play a big road series against third-place Sacramento State (24-12, 16-8) this weekend in Sacramento. 

The WAC's 2021 standings are based on formula that multiplies winning percentage by WAC games played percentage, which values overall wins more than winning percentage. 

Seattle is an intriguing team in the conference, which comes in with a 13-21 overall and 7-13 conference record for eighth place in the WAC. The Redhawks made a big statement two weeks ago when they won their conference series at then 24^th-ranked Sacramento State by shutting out the Hornets in the first three games. Last week, though, SU was swept in Edinburg by The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

CULPEPPER'S RECORD PACE
Closer CJ Culpepper moved back into a first-place tie for the NCAA Division I lead in saves this season, with his 11^th of the year on Sunday. Stanford's Zach Grech and Georgia Southern's Nick Jones both have 11 coming into this week, as well.

Culpepper's 11 saves are two more than any other WAC pitcher, as well, and surpassed the Lancers' single-season record first set by Charlie Eckenrod at 10 in 2001. He is now just three saves off CBU's career record of 14 set by Brody Robinson in 2018.

Overall this year, Culpepper has a 3.26 ERA, .203 opposing batting average and 1-1 record. He also has 26 strikeouts over 14 appearances and 19.1 innings pitched.  

BURICA'S BRINGING IT
Ace starting pitcher Chris Burica continues to build one of the best seasons a Lancer pitcher has ever had. Friday marked his third complete-game shutout and sixth quality start of the season. This time, he held Utah Valley to just five hits, two walks and struck out four.

Burica has gone at least seven innings in eight of his 10 starts this year and through the eighth three times. His first two shutouts of the season were full nine-inning games that came on the road at Cal and UTRGV.

In the WAC, Burica ranks first in innings pitched (70.1) by 10 innings, second in ERA (2.43) and wins (six), third in complete games (three) and ninth in strikeouts (55).  He is also maintaining a 0.94 WHIP and .217 batting average against.

WHO'S HOT?
Five regular starters put together big weeks at the plate and hit over .350 last week against Utah Valley for the Lancers: John Glenn (.786), Harrison Spohn (.615), Damon Keith (.467), Nick Plaia (.364) and Mitchel Simon (.364). Keith and Plaia both bring seven-game hitting streaks into this week, while Glenn and Spohn have five game streaks going.

No one was hotter last week than Glenn and Spohn. Glenn was named the WAC Hitter of the Week as he batted .786 (11-14), slugged 1.071 and maintained a .824 OBP with three walks and a stolen base. He scored seven times and drove in four runs batted in with a double and homer to his credit.

Spohn hit .615 (8-13), slugged 1.077 with six doubles and had a .667 OBP with two walks and no strikeouts. He had six RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base. Outfielder Damon Keith hit .467 (7-15) with six runs, four RBI out of the leadoff spot, while Nick Plaia and Mitchel Simon both hit .364 (4-11). Simon slugged .909 with two homers and a team-high eight RBI and two stolen bases, while Plaia had four RBI, three doubles and five runs.

GAME ON FOR DAMON
Damon Keith has been on fire this season for CBU. The outfielder has started in all 36 games and leads the Lancers in batting average (.370), slugging percentage (.615), on-base percentage (.445), hits (50), runs (38), stolen bases (nine) and home runs (eight).

Keith brings a seven-game hitting streak and 12-game reach base streak into this week. He has a hit in 27 of 36 games, 14 multi-hit performances, seven three-hit games on the year and two four-hit performances in the last two weeks.

In the WAC, Keith leads the WAC in runs and is tied for the lead in home runs (eight), ranks second in batting average, hits and slugging percentage, fifth in on-base percentage and sixth in stolen bases.

SERIES INFORMATION
Opponent: Seattle U
Dates/Times: Friday, April 30 (4 p.m.); Saturday, May 1 (12 p.m.); Sunday, May 2 (10 a.m.)
Location: Bellevue, Wash. (Bannerwood Park)
CBU Radio: Sidearm – Game 1 | Games 2-3 | Game 4
Live Stats: StatBroadcast – Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4
Video: WAC Digital Network – Game 1 | Games 2-3 | Game 4

REDHAWKS AT A GLANCE
Seattle U has been led by its pitching this season. The Redhawks allow just 5.11 runs a game and have a 4.01 earned run average and 1.49 WHIP as a staff. It has helped cover up for an offense that's averaging 3.76 runs a game with a .239 batting average, .330 slugging and .323 on-base percentages.

Starting pitching in particular has been strong for SU. Morgan White and Alex Jemal have made a team-high nine starts this year, while Nestor German and Riley Sinclair have made six and five, respectively.

White is the undisputed ace pitcher with a 2.95 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and .182 BAA over nine starts and 39.2 innings. Jemal is the most used pitcher, with a team-high 51.1 innings pitched over 11 appearances over which he has a 3.33 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and a complete game.

Lucas Ford is the closer, with a team-high five saves that rank fourth in the WAC. He has a 2.70 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and .208 BAA over 12 appearances and 13.1 innings. Peter Chronowski is a versatile arm who has made a team-high 13 appearances and covered 36.1 innings. He has a 2.97 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and a complete game to his credit.

Offensively, five Redhawks are hitting .250 or better. Julian Kodama is Seattle U's top threat, with a team-high .287 batting average and 39 hits. Justin Mazzone is the power threat with a team-high .468 slugging percentage, nine doubles, six homers and 24 runs batted in.

SU does have speed in the lineup, with Gavin Rork leading the WAC with 13 stolen bases on 18 attempts to go along with a .267 batting average. Kyle Sherick is tied for second in the conference with 10 stolen bases and hits .252. Connor O'Brien has a team-high 24 runs scored, five stolen bases and a .242 batting average.