LUBBOCK, Texas (May 7, 2021) – If Oklahoma Christian wants to be in the mix for a potential NCAA Division II postseason berth, the Eagles just need to keep winning and thanks in good part to Blake Empkey, that's just what they did Friday night at Hays Field.

Empkey hit a pair of two-run home runs, Tanner White also homered and drove in four runs and Gabe Rodery remained undefeated on the mound this baseball season as OC downed Lubbock Christian (Texas) 11-7 in the opener of a three-game Lone Star Conference series.

OC (24-12, 21-10 LSC) has clinched home-field advantage for a first-round LSC playoff series next week but the Eagles are hoping to hold onto the third spot in the standings ahead of Texas A&M-Kingsville, which has an 18-9 league record. The Eagles need to win as many games this week as does TAMUK, which won at Cameron on Friday, to finish third. Otherwise, OC will finish fourth by percentage points.

The Eagles also would like to land what figures to be one open spot in the slimmed-down four-team Division II South Central Regional and wins this late in the season only can help that cause.

Lubbock Christian (17-21, 15-19) tagged Rodery for three first-inning runs (two on a homer by Larry Leitha), but the senior left-hander settled down and made it through seven innings, allowing five runs (four earned) and striking out four batters to move to 8-0 this season. Rodery ranks third in the LSC in wins.

OC answered in the second inning with two runs, with White delivering a RBI double and then scoring on an infield single by Cole Lee. White hit another run-scoring double in the third inning off LCU starter Armando Valie (3-5) to tie the game and took the lead in the fourth when Empkey singled and scored on a wild pitch.

Edgar Hernandez's solo homer in the fourth pulled the Chaparrals within 5-4 before Empkey's first two-run homer in the sixth. White smacked a two-run homer in the eighth to make it 9-5 and Empkey hit his second homer in the top of the ninth to extend OC's lead to 11-5.

Those two RBIs gave Empkey 50 for the season, tying him with teammate Michael DiFiore for the LSC lead. DiFiore (15) and Empkey (12) also rank 1-2 in the conference in home runs.

The Chaparrals rallied in the ninth on a two-run double by Caden Hensley but OC reliever Robbie Suhr struck out Colin Gordon to end the game.

The teams will play again at 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday to close the regular season.