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22_SB_GameDay_35_36

Lady Chaps Go From First-Ever Trip to Denton to First-Ever Trip to Wichita Falls

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

LCU Riding 11-0 Road Record Into Sunday's Doubleheader

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WICHITA FALLS, Texas (April 3, 2022) – Lubbock Christian University's eight-game Lone Star conference road trips continues Sunday, as the No.17 Lady Chaparrals face Midwestern State for a noon doubleheader at Mustangs Park.
LONE STAR CONFERENCE SOFTBALL
OPPONENT LOCATION CITY TIME WATCH STATS LCU STATS OPP. STATS
MSU Mustangs Park Wichita Falls, Texas 12 p.m. Video Stats Season Season
MSU Mustangs Park Wichita Falls, Texas 2 p.m. Video Stats Season Season

WUNDERGROUND WEATHER: Plentiful sunshine. High 88F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.... Expected game-time temp: 76F (12 p.m.) and 83F (2 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 MSU Series Snapshot
  • MSU has a 4-3 lead in the all-time series.
  • The five prior meetings have been in Lubbock, as the two teams are meeting in Wichita Falls for a first time.
  • The previous meeting(s) were LSC contests last season, with LCU sweeping a doubleheader at home with an 11-4 and 8-0 win (5 innings) at home.
  • LCU is 0-2 away from home against MSU, as the first two meetings in the all-time series were neutral site games in Mansfield, Texas.
 
How is the Team Doing?
  • LCU is 28-6 this season and 14-4 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 .348 as a team (16th nationally), with 46 home runs (eighth nationally and seventh in home runs per game, 1.4) and 56 doubles (total ranks 25th nationally and their rate of 1.65 per game ranks 35th nationally) in 34 games. LCU averages 7.7 runs a contest (seventh nationally).
  • In the circle, LCU has an ERA of 2.53 (54th nationally). Opponents are hitting .216 against LCU this season (third in the LSC).
  • The Lady Chaps are 17th in shutouts, with nine, and five of LCU's shutouts are no-hitters. LCU leads the nation with five no-hitters.
  • LCU is 11th nationally in stolen bases per game (3.0) 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 15-1 this season, which has her co-leading the Lone Star Conference and ranked tied for fifth 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. She became the 18th pitcher in Division II history to complete at least four no-hitters in a single season and she is the only player this season in Division II to complete four no-hitters. Her no-hitters are part of seven shutouts this season (program has nine 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 (4.57, 29th nationally), third in complete games (10), fourth in WHIP (.099), sixth in strikeouts (103) and eighth in ERA (1.87). Entering Sunday, Franco has 50 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 (89, 27th among active Division II pitchers) and strikeouts (376, 30th among active Division II pitchers), third all-time in career starts (74, 19th among active Division II pitchers), complete games (44), innings pitches (447.2, 24th among active Division II pitchers) and fourth in saves (6, 14th among active Division II pitchers). Over her career, Franco has a 1.99 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 8-3 this season with a 2.19 ERA in 76.2 innings pitched. She ranks seventh in the LSC in hits allowed per seven innings (5.02). 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 seventh in the LSC in strikeouts with 98 (8.9 per seven innings ranks sixth in the LSC). Friday at Texas Woman's she completed her second career no-hitter, which was the program's 23rd and fifth of the season.
  • Savannah Wysocki has seven triples on the season and 22 in her LCU career, which actively leads NCAA Division II in career triples. The seven triples on the season is second 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 .471, which ranks third in the conference and 52nd nationally.
  • Tyla Lee is hitting .426 (12th in the LSC) with 46 hits and 36 RBI (17 with two outs). Her 46 hits ranks fifth in the LSC.
  • Taylor Franco was named LSC Pitcher of the Week for her no-hit effort last week. 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. Franco's first start last week was a 6.0-inning performance 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 11 (third in the LSC). Flores sits 17th actively among NCAA Division II leaders in home runs with 34 (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 (16), with Savannah Wysocki second in the nation with seven 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, Kasey Flores and Skylar Herrera each co-lead 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 475-151.
  • Along with surpassing 475 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 11-0 this season in road contests.
  • The Lady Chaps are hitting .362 (19 home runs) in road tilts, and contributing a 2.72 ERA in the circle (opponents hitting .250).  
  • Angela Donaldson leads LCU with a .545 average in road games. Kasey Flores has provided LCU a team-leading four home runs and 16 RBI on the road this season.
  • LCU has 19 home runs on the road and hit by 10 different individuals.
  • Taylor Franco (6-0) and Mattye Tyler (4-0) have 10 of LCU's 11 wins of record on the road for LCU. Franco has a 1.62 ERA to lead LCU on the road. Her and Maxine Valdez each have two saves on the road. Valdez, with a no-hitter thrown Friday at Texas Woman's, has a 1-0 road record with a 1.81 ERA.
 
Lone Star Conference Breakdown
  • This season is LCU's third season in the LSC.
  • LCU is 36-20 all-time in LSC play.
  • The Lady Chaps are 14-4 this season in conference contests. They opened conference play 4-0 for their best conference start since 2015. Their current 14-4 record has them in a four-way tie for second in the LSC standings.
  • They are hitting .343 in conference, with 25 home runs and an average of 7.8 runs per game. In the circle, they have a 3.17 ERA and opponents are hitting .234.
  • Angela Donaldson leads LCU in conference play, hitting .479 in conference (23 hits, which is one shy of team leader Savannah Wysocki, who has 24).
  • Kasey Flores has 22 RBI in LSC play and is leading LCU with six home runs in conference.
  • Taylor Franco (7-1) leads LCU in conference in wins in the circle (Mattye Tyler is 5-1), as Franco and Maxine Valdez each have two saves. Valdez leads LCU with a 2.37 ERA in LSC play.
 
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 47 runs in the inning (outscoring foes 47-11 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 23-1 when scoring first.
  • LCU is 22-3 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 MSU
  • The Mustangs went 15-27 last season, finishing 12th in the LSC with a 8-20 conference mark. They are 6-27 this season and are 12th in the LSC with a 5-13 conference record.
  • MSU is hitting .250 this season and have 28 home runs on the season. They have a staff ERA of 6.50 and opponents are hitting .328 against them.
  • They are 2-12 at home this season, seeking to end an eight-game losing streak at home. LCU will mark their seventh and eighth consecutive game(s) against a nationally ranked opponent.
  • MSU is preseason picked to finish 12th in the LSC in the LSC Preseason Poll.
  • The Mustangs are in their first season with Brittanie Talley at the helm. She arrived to coach MSU from Vernon College.
  • LCU's Mattye Tyler spent the prior two seasons at MSU. She hit .322 last season, with a pair of home runs in 30 games played.
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