Softball 04.25.2021 Chris Due (chris.due@lcu.edu)

Lady Chaps Seek Capital Improvements in Austin Sunday

LCU Aim To Gain Ground In Log-Jammed LSC Standings

AUSTIN, Texas (April 25, 2021) – Entering Sunday's play, Lubbock Christian University is one of five times separated by two wins, which contains teams in the conference standings ranging from fifth place to ninth place. They jockey for conference standing positioning Sunday in Austin, facing St. Edward's for a Lone Star Conference doubleheader with a noon first-pitch at Diane Daniels Field.

LSC SOFTBALL
OPPONENT	LOCATION	CITY	TIME	WATCH	STATS	LCU STATS	OPP. STATS
SEU	Diane Daniels Field	Austin	12p.m.	Watch	Stats	Season	Season
SEU	Diane Daniels Field	Austin	2 p.m.	Watch	Stats

WUNDERGROUND WEATHER: Sunny. High 88F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 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.")

LCU Social Media:

LCU and SEU Series Snapshot

LCU leads the all-time series over SEU, 17-7, winning the previous three meetings and five of the prior six encounters.
The Lady Chaps swept the series last season in Lubbock (Mar. 6, 2020), winning 5-4 in extra innings (Skylar Herrera was the winning run advancing home on an attempted double play in the ninth inning) and 6-0 in a complete-game shutout by Jordan Wehr.
LCU is 6-5 all-time against St. Edward's in Austin and have not played in Austin since Mar. 19, 2019.

How is the Team Doing?

LCU is 27-14 this season and 15-11 in LSC play after splitting a doubleheader Saturday in San Antonio, Texas at St. Mary's. LCU is in a tie for eighth place in the LSC standings (15-11), alongside Texas A&M International.
The Lady Chaps are hitting .346 as a team (ninth nationally, leads the LSC), with 42 home runs (eighth nationally and third in the LSC) in 41 games. They lead the nation in hits (376). LCU averages 6.2 runs a contest, ranking fifth in the LSC.
In the circle, LCU has an ERA of 1.86 (18^th nationally), which is second in the LSC. Opponents are hitting .227 against LCU this season and the team has 12 shutouts, which is tied for fourth in the nation and tied for second in the LSC (one behind A&M-Commerce).
On the field, LCU ranks sixth in the LSC with a .963 fielding percentage.

Who is Doing What?

Pitcher Taylor Franco is 13-7 this season with a 1.14 ERA in 135.0 innings pitched (also has three saves). Franco went 45.2 innings to start the season without allowing an earned run. She has 17 complete games (third nationally) and 85 strikeouts (eighth in the LSC). Opponents are hitting .208 against Franco, who is 34-17 in her LCU career (sixth player in program history with 30 wins). She is one of 12 pitchers nationally to appear in 25 games this season. Her 13 wins ranks tied for 18th nationally. Franco opened the weekend with a 0.99 WHIP, which is second in the LSC. She has dropped her last three starts, as LCU has scored two or less runs in six of her starts this season.
Brooke Makemson is hitting a team-best .426 on the season. She leads LCU with eight home runs (tied for 10th in conference) and has 36 RBI on the season (eighth in the LSC), 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 .424 at the plate, has a team-leading 61 hits (ranks third nationally and tied for second in the LSC). She also has 26 stolen bases (second in conference) on the season as well (fifth nationally). 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 sixth nationally with five triples, and also has seven home runs and is 14^th nationally in RBI (40).
Athena Muniz is ninth in the LSC in hits (45) and is hitting .385 on the season.

Lone Star Conference Breakdown

This season is LCU's second season in the LSC.
LCU is 20-14 all-time in LSC play.
LCU is 15-11 this season in conference play, with a 5-5 record in conference road play.
- LCU is hitting .332 in conference, with a 2.21 team ERA (hitting ranks fourth in the conference and pitching ranks second in the LSC for conference games).
- Taylor Franco is 6-6 with a 1.69 ERA (opponents hitting .229) in LSC action.
- Maxine Valdez is 3-2 with a 2.39 ERA and opponents are hitting .147 against her in conference.
- Savannah Wysocki is 38-for-88 (.432) with 12 extra-base hits in LSC play (her 38 hits in conference play ranks second in the LSC). She is second in the LSC with 18 stolen bases in conference play.
- Athena Muniz is second for LCU in conference play with a .429 average, and leads LCU with six home runs against conference competition.
- Brooke Makemson is hitting .405 and Tyla Lee is hitting .359 with five homers in conference contests.
- Skylar Herrera leads the team with 24 RBI in conference.

On The Road

LCU is 5-7 in road play this season (8 of the 12 games played at teams currently ranked).
The Lady Chaps are hitting .292 on the road, with a 2.76 ERA.
Taylor Franco (1-4) has a 1.66 ERA on the road, with five complete games and two saves.
Savannah Wysocki leads LCU on the road, hitting .455 (20-for-44), while Tyla Lee is second for LCU, hitting .389.
Skyler Herrera leads LCU with 13 RBI on the road.
Angela Donaldson and Lee each have two of LCU's seven road home runs this season.

Streaking Along

Brooke Makemson is LCU's active hit-streak leader, as she enters Sunday's games with a five-game active hit streak (7-for-15, .467 over the streak).
Makemson had a 22-game hit streak earlier in the season, which is the longest by a Lady Chaps member this season and is the longest in program history.
Makemson also has the team's season-high mark of consecutive games reaching base safely at 25 games.
Makemson has a new streak, currently leading the team reaching base safely in her last 13 games played.

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 11^th season at the helm of the Lady Chaps.
Hays is LCU's winningest softball head coach, entering Sunday with a softball record of 445-142.
Along with surpassing 400 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. They have been receiving votes since dropping out.
The Lady Chaps went 8-0 last season against nationally ranked programs, but are 2-8 against nationally ranked programs this season. They did record a win (Mar. 26) at No.2 Texas A&M-Commerce to mark their first win in program history on the road at a top-five nationally ranked program.
The NCAA released regional rankings of teams in the mix to possibly qualify for regionals, and LCU is in the mix of teams.

Looking at SEU

The Hilltoppers are 12-14 on the season (went 12-10 last season) and are 8-12 in conference after splitting a doubleheader with nationally ranked Angelo State (Friday and Saturday). SEU ended a four-game losing skid Saturday with their win in the second game of the doubleheader.
SEU is 9-5 at home this season.
St. Edward's was preseason picked 11th in the LSC Preseason Poll, and they currently sit in 11^th in the conference with their 8-12 conference mark.
The 'Toppers co-lead the LSC (with Oklahoma Christian) in sacrifice hits with 21 on the season (17 of them in conference play, which leads the LSC).
McKenna Leamon has a 4.31 ERA and is 6-8 in the circle, but she has 66 strikeouts in 77.1 innings, opponents are hitting .235 against her and she has limited opponents to two home runs on the season.

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Players Mentioned

#3 Jordan Wehr: RHP; 5' 7"; Senior

#18 Angela Donaldson: 1B/OF; 5' 7"; Senior

#72 Taylor Franco: RHP; 5' 7"; Junior

#25 Skylar Herrera: INF; 5' 11"; Sophomore

#44 Tyla Lee: 3B/OF; 5' 3"; Senior

#21 Brooke Makemson: INF; 5' 6"; Senior

#4 Athena Muniz: RHP/OF; 5' 4"; Senior

#5 Maxine Valdez: RHP; 5' 4"; Sophomore

#22 Savannah Wysocki: OF; 5' 5"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#3 Jordan Wehr
: 5' 7"; Senior
: RHP

#18 Angela Donaldson
: 5' 7"; Senior
: 1B/OF

#72 Taylor Franco
: 5' 7"; Junior
: RHP

#25 Skylar Herrera
: 5' 11"; Sophomore
: INF

#44 Tyla Lee
: 5' 3"; Senior
: 3B/OF

#21 Brooke Makemson
: 5' 6"; Senior
: INF

#4 Athena Muniz
: 5' 4"; Senior
: RHP/OF

#5 Maxine Valdez
: 5' 4"; Sophomore
: RHP

#22 Savannah Wysocki
: 5' 5"; Junior
: OF

Lubbock Christian University Athletics

Schedule

Events

Results

Lady Chaps Seek Capital Improvements in Austin Sunday

LCU Aim To Gain Ground In Log-Jammed LSC Standings

Players Mentioned

#3 Jordan Wehr

#18 Angela Donaldson

#72 Taylor Franco

#25 Skylar Herrera

#44 Tyla Lee

#21 Brooke Makemson

#4 Athena Muniz

#5 Maxine Valdez

#22 Savannah Wysocki

Players Mentioned

#3 Jordan Wehr

#18 Angela Donaldson

#72 Taylor Franco

#25 Skylar Herrera

#44 Tyla Lee

#21 Brooke Makemson

#4 Athena Muniz

#5 Maxine Valdez

#22 Savannah Wysocki