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Softball Chris Due (chris.due@lcu.edu)

Lady Chaps Tough Weekend Aginst Ranked Foes Begins Friday in Commerce

LCU Heads to No.2 A&M-Commerce in a Battle Against Two Programs Co-Leading the Nation in Shutouts

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COMMERCE, Texas (March 26, 2021) – Lubbock Christian University hits the road for a huge weekend of Lone Star Conference play involving four games against top-10 nationally ranked programs. The weekend begins Friday in Commerce, Texas, as LCU faces No.2 Texas A&M-Commerce for a 4 p.m. doubleheader at John Cain Family Softball Complex.
LSC SOFTBALL
OPPONENT LOCATION CITY TIME WATCH STATS LCU STATS OPP. STATS
TAMUC Cain Family Complex   Commerce, Texas  4 p.m.  Watch Stats Season Season
TAMUC Cain Family Complex Commerce, Texas  6 p.m.  Watch Stats Season Season

WUNDERGROUND WEATHER: Sunny. High 77F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.

WATCH ONLINE: LSC Digital Network (Online or via OTT apps including Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV and Roku devices by searching "LSC Digital Network.")


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LCU and TAMUC Series Snapshot
  • TAMUC leads the all-time series 1-0
  • The only prior meeting was Feb. 4, 2016 at the Division II College Classic in San Antonio, Texas and TAMUC won 11-5
  • LCU tied a program record in the meeting, stranding 13 baserunners.
  • The two teams were set to play at the North Texas Softball Bash in Mesquite, Texas on Feb. 11, 2018, but a cold front led to the game's cancellation.
 
How is the Team Doing?
  • LCU is 17-8 this season and 7-5 in LSC play after sweeping UT Permian Basin Sunday to extend their win streak to six games.
  • The Lady Chaps are hitting .341 as a team (25th nationally, third in LSC), with 28 home runs (fourth nationally and second in the LSC) in 25 games. LCU averages 6.4 runs a contest, ranking fourth in the LSC.
  • In the circle, LCU has an ERA of 1.68 (25th nationally). Opponents are hitting .189 against LCU this season and the team has 11 shutouts, co-leading the nation along with this week's opponent TAMUC.
  • On the field, LCU ranks third in the LSC with a .969 fielding percentage.
 
Who is Doing What?
  • Pitcher Taylor Franco is 10-3 this season with a 0.52 ERA in 81.1 innings pitched (also has a save). Franco went 45.2 innings to start the season without allowing an earned run. She has 11 complete games (second nationally) and 50 strikeouts (ninth in the LSC). Opponents are hitting .153 against Franco, who is 31-13 in her LCU career (sixth player in program history with 30 wins). She is one of 10 pitchers nationally to appear in 15 games this season. Her 10 wins ranks tied for fifth nationally. Franco opens the week with a 0.74 WHIP, ranking 21st nationally (leads LSC).
  • Brooke Makemson is hitting .397 on the season. She has six home runs (25th nationally) and 25 RBI on the season (16th in the nation), and was named NFCA National Player of the Week on Feb. 9 after hitting .692 (9-for-13) at the LCU Invitational.
  • Savannah Wysocki, hitting .395 at the plate, has a team-leading 34 hits (ranks fifth nationally). She also has a nation-leading 19 stolen bases on the season as well. Wysocki has three triples this season, placing her with 15 in her LCU career to match the program career mark with Brittany Kent (2011-2012).
  • Skylar Herrera ranks second nationally with four triples, and also has four home runs and is seventh in RBI (27).
 
Lone Star Conference Breakdown
  • This season is LCU's second season in the LSC.
  • LCU is 12-8 all-time in LSC play.
  • LCU is 7-5 this season in conference play, with a 2-2 record in conference road play.
    • LCU is hitting .331 in conference, with a 2.14 team ERA.
    • Taylor Franco is 4-2 with a 1.17 ERA (opponents hitting .163) in LSC action.
    • Maxine Valdez is 2-1 with a 1.38 ERA and opponents are hitting .116 against her in conference. She pitched the 18th no hitter in program history in her last appearance, which was in 5.0 innings over UT Permian Basin Sunday.
    • Athena Muniz leads LCU at the plate in conference, going 16-for-34 (.471) with four home runs and eight RBI.
    • Brooke Makemson is hitting .378 average (14-for-37).
    • Skylar Herrera leads the team with 13 RBI in conference.
    • Savannah Wysocki leads the LSC with 11 stolen bases in conference contests.
 
On The Road
  • LCU is 2-4 in road play this season (all at teams currently ranked).
  • The Lady Chaps are hitting .269 on the road, with a 2.88 ERA.
  • Taylor Franco (1-2) has a 0.41 ERA on the road, with three complete games.
  • Tyla Lee leads LCU on the road, hitting .375 (6-for-16).
  • Skyler Herrera leads LCU with six RBI on the road.
  • Angela Donaldson has two of LCU's five road home runs this season.
 
Streaking Along
  • Brooke Makemson is riding a 22-game hit streak, which is the longest by a Lady Chaps member this season and is the longest in program history.
  • Makemson has also reached base safely in all 25 games this season.
  • Athena Muniz is the next closest, with an active seven-game hit streak.
 
Season Expectations
  • The Lady Chaps are preseason picked to finish sixth in the Lone Star Conference.
  • LCU is in their seventh season playing a NCAA Division II schedule (2013 was their last season in NAIA) and this is their second season as members of the Lone Star Conference.
  • There are 16 softball programs in the LSC this season.
 
Coach Talk
  • LCU head coach Daren Hays is in his 11th season at the helm of the Lady Chaps.
  • Hays is LCU's winningest softball head coach, entering Sunday with a softball record of 435-136.
  • Along with surpassing 300 coaching wins in softball, Hays had surpassed 300 wins as a collegiate baseball head coach. He spent eight seasons as the LCU baseball head coach and compiled a 356-163 record.
 
National Notes
  • LCU opened the season ranked No.19 in the NFCA Top 25 Preseason Poll.
  • The Lady Chaps bounced around between No.24 and No.25 before dropping out in early March.
  • The Lady Chaps went 8-0 last season against nationally ranked programs, but are 0-4 against nationally ranked programs this season.
 
 Looking at TAMUC
  • The Lions went 16-7 last season, and they were 5-3 in Lone Star Conference play at season's close.
  • TAMUC is running with a 19-14 mark in the 2021 season and their 12-0 record in LSC games has them atop the conference standings. They have won 15 consecutive games
  • A&M-Commerce are preseason picked to finish third in the LSC this season.
  • The Lions have had the luxury of playing at home this season. They played their first 18 games at home this season, and their series with LCU is the continuation of a nine-game homestand, which will have the Lions with 27 of their first 31 games at home.
  • Like LCU, TAMUC co-leads (with LCU) the nation in shutouts with 11 on the season. Alyssa LeBlanc is the reason, as she leads the LSC and ranks fourth nationally in strikeouts (96), is second nationally in victories (12) and is second in the LSC in ERA (1.18).
 
 
 
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Players Mentioned

Angela Donaldson

#18 Angela Donaldson

1B/OF
5' 7"
Senior
Taylor Franco

#72 Taylor Franco

RHP
5' 7"
Junior
Skylar Herrera

#25 Skylar Herrera

INF
5' 11"
Sophomore
Tyla Lee

#44 Tyla Lee

3B/OF
5' 3"
Senior
Brooke Makemson

#21 Brooke Makemson

INF
5' 6"
Senior
Athena Muniz

#4 Athena Muniz

RHP/OF
5' 4"
Senior
Maxine Valdez

#5 Maxine Valdez

RHP
5' 4"
Sophomore
Savannah Wysocki

#22 Savannah Wysocki

OF
5' 5"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Angela Donaldson

#18 Angela Donaldson

5' 7"
Senior
1B/OF
Taylor Franco

#72 Taylor Franco

5' 7"
Junior
RHP
Skylar Herrera

#25 Skylar Herrera

5' 11"
Sophomore
INF
Tyla Lee

#44 Tyla Lee

5' 3"
Senior
3B/OF
Brooke Makemson

#21 Brooke Makemson

5' 6"
Senior
INF
Athena Muniz

#4 Athena Muniz

5' 4"
Senior
RHP/OF
Maxine Valdez

#5 Maxine Valdez

5' 4"
Sophomore
RHP
Savannah Wysocki

#22 Savannah Wysocki

5' 5"
Junior
OF