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No Time For Jokes, LCU Opens Eight-Game Conference Road Trip Friday

| By: Chris Due (chris.due@lcu.edu)

Lady Chaps Open Road Trip With First-Ever Trip To Denton

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DENTON, Texas (April 1, 2022) – No time to joke around for No.17 Lubbock Christian University, as they open an eight-game road trip Friday at Texas Woman's for a Lone Star Conference doubleheader.
LONE STAR CONFERENCE SOFTBALL
OPPONENT LOCATION CITY TIME WATCH STATS LCU STATS OPP. STATS
TWU Dianne Baker Field Denton, Texas 3 p.m. Video Stats Season Season
TWU Dianne Baker Field Denton, Texas 5 p.m. Video Stats Season Season

WUNDERGROUND WEATHER: Sunshine to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High 74F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph... Expected game-time temp: 71F (3 p.m.) and 73F (5 p.m.).

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 TWU Series Snapshot
  • With wins in the previous three meetings, LCU has a 4-2 all-time series advantage.
  • Last season, the two teams met in Lubbock for the first time and LCU swept the series with a 7-1 and 10-2 win (five innings) on April 9.
  • The first four meetings were neutral site contests, with the two teams splitting 2-2.
  • The two teams have never met in Denton.
 
How is the Team Doing?
  • LCU is 26-6 this season and 12-4 in LSC play. They had an 18-game win streak earlier on the season, which was their longest win streak since a 19-game win streak since 2014.
  • The Lady Chaps are hitting .345 as a team (16th nationally), with 42 home runs (eighth nationally and seventh in home runs per game, 1.3) and 54 doubles (total ranks 25th nationally and their rate of 1.69 per game ranks 35th nationally) in 32 games. LCU averages 7.6 runs a contest (seventh nationally).
  • In the circle, LCU has an ERA of 2.66 (54th nationally). Opponents are hitting .220 against LCU this season (third in the LSC).
  • The Lady Chaps are 17th in shutouts, with eight, and four of LCU's shutouts are no-hitters.
  • LCU is 11th nationally in stolen bases per game (2.9) and 96th in fielding percentage (.960).
 
Who is Doing What?
  • Taylor Franco is a member of the Top-50 List put together for the Player & Pitcher of the Year by Schutt Sports and the NFCA. She is 14-1 this season, which has her co-leading the Lone Star Conference and ranked tied for seventh nationally in victories. The reigning two-time LSC Pitcher of the Week has a program career record in no-hitters (five) and a single-season record with four this season, including a no-hitter over No.1 UT Tyler Sunday. Her no-hitters are part of seven shutouts this season (program has eight and ranks 17th nationally), which has her with a program-record 21 in her LCU career (ranks eighth among active Division II pitchers). Franco ranks second in the LSC in hits allowed per seven innings (4.41, 29th nationally), third in complete games (9), fourth in WHIP (.097), seventh in strikeouts (90) and 10th in ERA (1.93). Entering this week's play, Franco is a win shy of a career-high in single-season wins and has 49 wins in her LCU career, which is third in program history and tied for 17th among active Division II players. She also ranks second all-time in program history in appearances (88, 27th among active Division II pitchers) and strikeouts (363, 30th among active Division II pitchers), third all-time in career starts (73, 19th among active Division II pitchers), complete games (43), innings pitches (440.2, 24th among active Division II pitchers) and fourth in saves (6, 14th among active Division II pitchers). Over her career, Franco has a 2.00 ERA (24th among active Division II pitchers) and a pace of 5.74 strikeouts per seven innings (21st among active Division II pitchers).
  • Pitcher Maxine Valdez is 7-3 this season with a 2.38 ERA in 70.2 innings pitched. She ranks seventh in the LSC in hits allowed per seven innings (5.45). She has registered two saves, which has her tied for 26th nationally (five leads the nation) and is tied for fifth in the LSC. She ranks ninth in the LSC in strikeouts with 85 (8.4 per seven innings ranks sixth in the LSC).
  • Savannah Wysocki has six triples on the season and 21 in her LCU career, which actively leads NCAA Division II in career triples. The six triples on the season is fifth in all of Division II. Wysocki, with 26 stolen bases this season, has 84 in her career, ranking 10th among active career NCAA Division II leaders (all-time leader in program history). Her 26 stolen bases this season ranks ninth nationally (third in the LSC).
  • Angela Donaldson enters the series leading LCU in hitting, with an average of .438, which ranks sixth in the conference and 52nd nationally.
  • Tyla Lee is hitting .427 (eighth in the LSC) with 44 hits and 36 RBI (17 with two outs). Her 44 hits ranks fourth in the LSC.
  • Taylor Franco was named LSC Pitcher of the Week for her efforts on the week, which included her fourth no-hitter of the season. Sunday, Franco no-hit No.1 nationally ranked UT Tyler, who entered the series leading NCAA Division II in hitting, with a complete game (7.0 innings) no-hitter for her LCU program record fifth no-hitter and the fourth no-hitter of the season (program's 22nd no-hitter and the first ever against a nationally ranked program). Franco's first start on the week was a 6.0-inning performance Friday against No.21 Texas A&M-Commerce in which she notched a season-high 10 strikeouts and allowed two earned runs off four hits. LCU had a 6-3 lead over the Lions before exiting the game. The honor is the second LSC honor this season for Franco. She claims the weekly honor by a Lady Chaps member this season. Franco (Pitcher, Feb. 15), Tyla Lee (Hitter, Feb. 22 and Mar. 8) and Kasey Flores (Hitter, Mar. 1) previously claimed weekly accolades this season.
  • Kasey Flores leads LCU in home runs with nine (fourth in the LSC). Flores sits 21st actively among NCAA Division II leaders in home runs with 32 (the mark includes her UTEP totals).
  • Skylar Herrera, tied for second on the squad with eight homers, has 11 stolen bases on the season, placing her with 49 in her career.
  • LCU is 10th nationally in triples (15), with Savannah Wysocki fifth in the nation with six triples and Brooke Makemson behind her with four triples (ranks tied for 18th nationally).
  • Tyla Lee leads LCU in multi-hit games (15). Brooke Makemson leads LCU with 10 multi-RBI games.
 
Season Expectations
  • The Lady Chaps are preseason picked to finish seventh in the Lone Star Conference.
  • LCU is in their eighth season playing a NCAA Division II schedule (2013 was their last season in NAIA) and this is their third season as members of the Lone Star Conference.
  • There are 16 softball programs in the LSC this season. The major difference from last season to this season is UT Tyler is postseason eligible.

Coach Talk
  • LCU head coach Daren Hays is in his 12th season at the helm of the Lady Chaps.
  • Hays is LCU's winningest softball head coach, entering the weekend with a softball record of 473-151.
  • Along with surpassing 450 coaching wins in softball, Hays had surpassed 350 wins as a collegiate baseball head coach. He spent eight seasons as the LCU baseball head coach and compiled a 356-163 record.
 
Road Review
  • LCU is 9-0 this season in road contests.
  • The Lady Chaps are hitting .356 (15 home runs) in road tilts, and contributing a 3.20 ERA in the circle (opponents hitting .268).  
  • Angela Donaldson and Skylar Herrera (each are 12-for-26) are co-leading LCU with a .462 average in road games. Herrera, who leads LCU with 13 RBI on the road, and Brooke Makemson co-lead LCU with three home runs in road play.
  • LCU has 15 home runs on the road and hit by nine different individuals.
  • Taylor Franco (5-0) and Mattye Tyler (4-0) have the wins of record on the road for LCU. Franco has a 1.75 ERA to lead LCU on the road. Her and Maxine Valdez each have two saves on the road.
 
Lone Star Conference Breakdown
  • This season is LCU's third season in the LSC.
  • LCU is 34-20 all-time in LSC play.
  • The Lady Chaps are 12-4 this season in conference contests. They opened conference play 4-0 for their best conference start since 2015. Their current 12-4 record has them in a four-way tie for third in the LSC standings.
  • They are hitting .337 in conference, with 21 home runs and an average of 7.6 runs per game. In the circle, they have a 3.50 ERA and opponents are hitting .243.
  • Savannah Wysocki leads LCU in conference play, hitting .440 in conference (22 hits).
  • Kasey Flores has 18 RBI in LSC play and is second with four homers in conference (behind five hit by Brooke Makemson).
  • Taylor Franco (6-1) leads LCU in conference in wins in the circle (Mattye Tyler is 5-1), as Franco and Maxine Valdez each have two saves.
 
National Notes
  • The Lady Chaps went 8-0 last season against nationally ranked programs in 2020, but went 2-10 against nationally ranked programs in 2021.
  • LCU is 4-4 this season against nationally ranked programs
    • Wins:
      • No.14 Rogers State (13-5 in five innings on Feb. 20 in Oklahoma City)
      • No.18 Oklahoma Christian (doubleheader sweep on Friday, 4-3 and 8-7).
      • Mar. 12, they defeated No.6 West Texas A&M at home.
      • Mar. 27, they no-hit No.1 UT Tyler at home.
  • On Mar.1, LCU made their debut in the NFCA national Top-25 rankings, debuting at No.15. They moved up to No.10 on Mar. 21 for their best ranking since joining NCAA Division II (2016 season). They enter this week ranked No.17.
 
Streaking Along  
In Summary
  • LCU has a 38-15 scoring advantage in the first inning, with their highest offensive output coming in the fifth innings as they have 44 runs in the inning (outscoring foes 44-11 in the inning).
  • The Lady Chaps have scored in the first inning in 14 games this season and are 14-0 when doing so. LCU is 21-1 when scoring first.
  • LCU is 20-3 this season when they hit at least one home run in a game.
  • The Lady Chaps are 12-1 this season when error free.

Looking at TWU
  • The Pioneers went 7-26 last season, finishing 13th in the LSC with a 6-22 conference mark. They are 9-18 this season and are 13th in the LSC with a 4-12 conference record.
  • TWU is hitting .244 this season and have nine home runs on the season. They have a staff ERA of 4.85 and opponents are hitting .334 against them.
  • They are 4-8 at home this season, seeking to end a six-game losing streak at home. LCU will mark their seventh and eighth consecutive game(s) against a nationally ranked opponent.
  • TWU is preseason picked to finish 13th in the LSC in the LSC Preseason Poll.
  • The Pioneers rank 38th nationally in stolen bases (56), with Nye Brown ranking fifth in the LSC with 21 on the season (21st nationally). She has a per-game rate of .78, ranking fourth in the LSC.
  • Paige Tamayo leads TWU in conference play, hitting .350 with a .985 OPS. Pitchers Jules Malis and Kelsie Briggs are each 2-6 in conference contests. 
 
 
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