Lubbock Christian (29-9, 16-1 Heartland) at Oklahoma Christian (20-13, 8-7 Heartland)
Friday, April 10 at 5 p.m. (DH)
Oklahoma City, Okla. (Tom Heath Field)
 
About Oklahoma Christian
The Lady Eagles have been up-and-down in 2015, winning their first seven contests before compiling a 1-8 record in the next nine games. OC began conference play with a dismal 0-6 mark but have since won eight of their last nine Heartland matchups. Three-time Pitcher of the Week Shea Coats ranks first in the league with three saves and is second with an ERA of 1.81. Kendra Pierce has been named the Heartland Hitter of the Week on two occasions and leads the conference in batting average at .519, on base percentage with a mark of .558 and hits with 56.
 
History between LCU and OC
Although Oklahoma Christian took the first meeting between the schools, a 3-2 decision on February 29, 2008, LCU holds an all-time 24-3 advantage over OC. The last loss for the Lady Chaps to the Lady Eagles was back on February 27, 2011, in a 9-3 contest. Lubbock Christian has won 12 straight since that defeat, including last season's three-game sweep in Lubbock on March 13-14.
 
Last meeting of the Lady Chaps and Lady Eagles
LUBBOCK, Texas (March 14, 2014) – Katera Eltsosie headed into the bottom of the seventh inning one out away from a no-hitter when Courtney Starr collected Oklahoma Christian's first hit of the game on a single up the middle and Martha Thomas followed with a two-run shot to left field to pull the Lady Eagles to within one run of Lubbock Christian, but the Lady Chaps were able to hold on for the 3-2 victory due to an OC fielding error and a two-run Ashton Bell homer in the third inning.
 
Morgan Colburn recorded the first hit of the day in the bottom of the second on a single to left field but the game remained scoreless until the third when Katlin Reed reached base on a dropped ball, stole second and scored on a Mallory Koschany single to right center. Bell then homered to right center for two more LCU (26-3, 9-3 Heartland) scores and a 3-0 LCU lead. Jessica Loiacano and Eltsosie each reached on singles, but a Colburn popup to shortstop ended the inning.
 
Megan Sullivan was able to reach first on a Lady Eagle error and made it to second on an error for another Lady Chap scoring opportunity, but a Loiacano line out to shortstop concluded the frame.
 
In the top of the seventh, LCU grabbed a fly out and pop up from OC (13-11, 2-4 Heartland) to put themselves one out away from a victory and an Eltsosie no-hitter when Starr and Thomas delivered the damage, but Niki Davidson's fly out to center field allowed LCU to record the win and sweep the three-game series over OC.
 
Eltsosie (13-2) earned the win with the pair of hits, a walk and three strikeouts, while Haley Squier (1-4) took the loss with five hits.
 
Loiacano first Heartland winner for first place Lady Chaps
WACO, Texas (April 6, 2015) – First place Lubbock Christian received its first Heartland Conference honor of 2015 with Jessica Loiacano earning Hitter of the Week for her production against nationally second-ranked West Texas A&M and Heartland member Oklahoma Panhandle State.
 
The senior infielder recorded nine hits, nine RBI and a trio of home runs during a week that included a sweep of the Aggies to remain atop the conference standings. Loiacano tallied an average of .692 along with a 1.385 slugging percentage.
 
The Temple City, Calif., native is ranked second in Heartland in homeruns (10), third in RBI (38), fourth in slugging (.735) and total bases (83), fifth in batting (.416) and hits (47), and eighth in on base percentage (.468).
 
LCU's Beuthien announced as finalist for National Freshman of the Year
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 9, 2015) – Sydney Beuthien of Lubbock Christian has been named a finalist in the field of 25 for the inaugural National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division II National Freshman of the Year Award, which will be presented prior to the start of the 2015 NCAA Division II National Championship in Oklahoma City, Okla.
 
This award was created to honor the outstanding athletic achievement among freshman softball student-athletes throughout Division II behind the collaboration of the NFCA and its Division II Head Coaches Committee.
 
Beuthien has made quite an impression during the 2015 season despite not playing high school softball. The Era, Texas, native's high school was so small it did not sponsor the sport, but the 5-9 standout athlete excelled in basketball and track and field. After being discovered by LCU Head Coach Daren Hays last summer, the first year Lady Chap has been putting up impressive numbers to lead the Heartland Conference and rank nationally. Beuthien leads the league in home runs (15), RBI (48), total bases (122) and triples (3), and her numbers rank eighth in the country in home runs and RBI.
 
This year's 25 finalists hail from 23 different universities, while the group represents 15 Division II leagues across the nation, ranging coast-to-coast, from New York to California. Carson-Newman, out of the South Atlantic Conference (SAC), and Minnesota Duluth from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) each boast two finalists.
 
The SAC, Lone Star Conference and Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) picked up the most overall selections with three. The Heartland Conference, Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC), the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) and the NSIC each had two representatives. The PacWest, Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, California Collegiate Athletic Conference, Northeast 10, Gulf South Conference, Great American Conference (GAC), East Coast Conference and Peach Belt Conference had one finalist.
 
The list will be trimmed down to the top 10 finalists on April 30, while the top three finalists will be selected and released on May 13. The inaugural NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year trophy will be presented during a live ceremony on May 20 prior to the opening of the Division II National Championship, which is being held in Oklahoma City, Okla., for the first time.
 
LCU leader in team statistical categories
The Lady Chaps have risen statistically within the Heartland Conference while also having an impact nationally. The squad leads the league in batting average (.367), double plays turned per game (.67), doubles per game (1.72), home runs per game (1.61), on base percentage (.453), scoring (8.25) and slugging percentage (.618). Nationally, their marks are good enough to rank second in batting average, slugging percentage and double plays turned per game and fourth in home runs per game, on base percentage and scoring.
 
Hoping to close conference season strong
The 16-1 Lady Chaps are hoping to continue their winning ways within the Heartland to close out the 2015 season. St. Mary's is currently holding down second place with a 12-2 mark, and Texas A&M International is third at 13-5. While LCU and TAMIU each have two conference series remaining, StMU still has nine league games to play. The final standinsg may very well be determined during the final week of conference play when St. Mary's faces St. Edward's and LCU travels to TAMIU.
 
Two seven-run innings lead LCU to non-conference sweep of ENMU
Portales, N.M. (April 8, 2015) – Lubbock Christian used a seven-run sixth inning in the first game against Eastern New Mexico for an 8-4 victory and began the following contest with another seven runs in the top of the first to capture a 13-5 doubleheader sweep over the ENMU Tuesday at Zia Field.
 
The Lady Chaps (29-9) looked to be in trouble in game one trailing ENMU (16-20) 2-1 before a big LCU rally. A walk to Addison Ard with the bases loaded knotted the game at two apiece, and a Faith Koria single to right field put the visitors up 3-2. Sydney Beuthien gave LCU a 7-2 cushion with a grand slam to left field before Ashton Bell singled to right field to bring Alyssa Wartelle in for another score.
 
Eastern's Kyra Sirag homered to center field in the bottom of the seventh to cut LCU's lead to 8-4 with two outs on the board, but the Lady Chaps closed down the Zias for the win.
 
Courtney McGee (16-4) gathered the win on seven hits and a walk.
 
LCU wasted little time in the nightcap, as leadoff batter Koria singled up the middle, advanced to second on a Sammie Murrietta hit to center field and scored the first run of the contest on a Zia throwing error. Singles to right field by Liz Torres and Ard added another pair of Lady Chap runs, and Torres made her way around the bags with the help of two ENMU wild pitches. Consecutive singles by Katlin Reed, Pam Pence and Koria added to the scoring fury to give LCU a 7-0 inning one lead.
 
The Zias made a run of their own in the bottom of the second by collecting five runs on four hits and taking advantage of two Lady Chap errors to narrow the gap to 8-5. Following a sacrifice fly by Reed in the next frame, LCU again went to work offensively in the fifth, started by a home run to left field by Torres. Koria notched an RBI after being hit by a pitch, and Beuthien's two-run single to third base brought in two Lady Chaps for a 13-5 advantage to conclude the game.
 
Kelsey Hoppel (8-2) registered the win with 10 hits, a walk and three strikeouts.