Lady Chaps Close Out Regular Season Hosting Nationally Ranked Belles

04.29.2022 | By: Chris Due (chris.due@lcu.edu)

Senior Day Ceremony Will Be Held Prior to the Game

LUBBOCK, Texas (April 30, 2022) – There is a ton on the line entering the final regular season series for many teams in the Lone Star Conference, and there is no exception for No.13 Lubbock Christian University and No.7 Angelo State, who face each other in a Saturday doubleheader for "Senior Day" at Maner Park.

LONE STAR CONFERENCE SOFTBALL
OPPONENT	LOCATION	CITY	TIME	WATCH	STATS	LCU STATS	OPP. STATS
SEU	Maner Park	Lubbock, Texas	1 p.m.	Video	Stats	Season	Season
SEU	Maner Park	Lubbock, Texas	3 p.m.	Video	Stats	Season	Season

WUNDERGROUND WEATHER: Sunny skies. High 83F. Winds ENE at 10 to 20 mph... Expected game-time temp: 74F (1 p.m.) and 78F (3 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.")

TICKETS: Click Here For Advance Ticket Purchases, unless you are a ChapPass card-holder

LCU Social Media:

LCU and ASU Series Snapshot

Angelo State is 8-1 all-time against LCU and have shutout the Lady Chaps in three of the nine meetings.
Last season, ASU swept LCU (7-3 and 4-2 in San Angleo, Texas on May 2, 2021) and it marked the first meeting between the two programs since 2017, which is a season the two teams met five times and ASU won all five meetings.
Of the nine prior meetings, the two teams have only met twice in Lubbock, with ASU sweeping a doubleheader on Mar. 13, 2017 (ASU is 2-0 all-time in Lubbock).
Angelo State was nationally ranked in eight of the prior nine meetings, with the lone meeting unranked resulting in LCU's lone series win: a 5-1 LCU victory on Feb. 12, 2016 in Canyon, Texas.
Kamryn Gibbs is LCU's active leader against ASU, hitting .333 (2-for-6) with a double and RBI and two career games against the Belles.

How is the Team Doing?

LCU is 36-8 this season and 22-6 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 .341 as a team (17^th nationally), with 59 home runs (11th nationally and seventh in home runs per game, 1.34) and 65 doubles (total ranks 75^th nationally and their rate of 1.48 per game ranks 85^th nationally) in 42 games. LCU averages 7.18 runs a contest (14th nationally).
In the circle, LCU has an ERA of 2.35 (37^thnationally). Opponents are hitting .210 against LCU this season (leads the LSC).
The Lady Chaps are 18^th in shutouts, with 12, and five of LCU's shutouts are no-hitters. LCU co-leads the nation with five no-hitters.
LCU is 11th nationally in stolen bases per game (2.70) and 158^th in fielding percentage (.953). They are 23^rd nationally with 18 double plays turned.

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 19-3 this season, which has her leading the Lone Star Conference and entering the week ranked tied for ninth nationally in victories. A 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 Mar. 27). She became the 18^th 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 eight shutouts this season (program has 11 and ranks 18^th nationally), which has her with a program-record 22 in her LCU career (ranks eighth among active Division II pitchers). Franco leads the LSC in hits allowed per seven innings (4.5, 28^th nationally) and is second in complete games (15), sixth in WHIP (0.97) and strikeouts (131) and seventh in ERA (1.79). Entering day, Franco has 54 wins in her LCU career, which is third in program history and tied for 18^th among active Division II players. She also ranks second all-time in program history in appearances (96, 28^th among active Division II pitchers), complete games (49), pitching starts (79, 22^nd among active Division II pitchers), innings pitches (483.2, 27^th among active Division II pitchers) and strikeouts (404, 32^nd among active Division II pitchers) and tied for second in saves (7, 12^th among active Division II pitchers). Over her career, Franco has a 1.95 ERA (24^th among active Division II pitchers) and a pace of 5.82 strikeouts per seven innings (24^th among active Division II pitchers).
Pitcher Maxine Valdez is 12-3 this season with a 2.07 ERA in 104.2 innings pitched. She ranks seventh in the LSC in hits allowed per seven innings (5.15). She ranks seventh in the LSC in strikeouts with 125 (8.4 per seven innings ranks fourth in the LSC and 45^th nationally). During an Apr. 1 contest at Texas Woman's, she completed her second career no-hitter, which was the program's 23^rd all-time 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 sixth in all of Division II. Wysocki, with 28 stolen bases this season, has 86 in her career, ranking 13^th among active career NCAA Division II leaders (all-time leader in program history). Her 28 stolen bases this season ranks 28th nationally (second in the LSC).
Angela Donaldson enters the series leading LCU in hitting, with an average of .439, which is second in the conference and 33^rd nationally.
Tyla Lee is hitting .382 (19th in the LSC) with 52 hits and 42 RBI (18 with two outs). Her 52 hits ranks tied for 18th in the LSC.
LCU has five LSC weekly honors this season. Taylor Franco (Pitcher, Feb. 15, Mar. 28), Tyla Lee (Hitter, Feb. 22 and Mar. 8) and Kasey Flores (Hitter, Mar. 1) have each claimed weekly accolades this season.
Kasey Flores leads LCU in home runs with 15 (second in the LSC and 10^th nationally). Flores sits 15^th actively among NCAA Division II leaders in home runs with 38 (the mark includes her UTEP totals). Of her 47 RBI this season (tied for fourth in the LSC), a team-leading 21 are with two outs.
Skylar Herrera, second on the squad with 11 homers (seventh in the LSC), has 13 stolen bases on the season, placing her with 51 in her career.
LCU is 16th nationally in triples (17), with Savannah Wysocki sixth in the nation with seven triples and Brooke Makemson behind her with four triples (tied for fifth in the LSC).
Tyla Lee leads LCU in multi-hit games (16). Brooke Makemson and Kasey Flores co-lead LCU with 12 multi-RBI games, with Skylar Herrera behind each of them with 11 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 12^th season at the helm of the Lady Chaps.
Hays is LCU's winningest softball head coach, entering the weekend with a softball record of 483-153.
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.

Home on The Range

LCU is 287-42 (87.2%) all-time in home games at Maner Park.
Last season, LCU was 17-7 at home (13-1 in 2020).
This season, LCU is 14-5 at home.
The Lady Chaps are hitting .326 at home, with a .547 slugging mark. Their offense is averaging 6.1 runs at home and has produced 21 home runs.
Savannah Wysocki is hitting .471 at home (24-for-51) with a .401 on-base percentage. Kasey Flores leads LCU with five home runs at home, and Brooke Makemson leads LCU with 18 RBI at home.
In the circle, LCU has a 2.09 ERA and are holding opponents to a .192 average. Taylor Franco (8-2 at home) did not allowed a run for the first 25.1 innings pitched at home this season (has two no-hitters at home this season).

Lone Star Conference Breakdown

This season is LCU's third season in the LSC.
LCU is 44-22 all-time in LSC play.
The Lady Chaps are 22-6 this season in conference contests. They opened conference play 4-0 for their best conference start since 2015. Their current 22-6 record has them in a tie for second place in the LSC standings (with Texas A&M-Commerce).
LCU has at least 20 conference wins for the first time since 2013 and for the sixth time in program history.
They are hitting .334 in conference, with 38 home runs and an average of 6.9 runs per game. In the circle, they have a 2.65 ERA and opponents are hitting .218.
Angela Donaldson leads LCU in conference play, hitting .427 in conference (32 hits, which trails 34 by Savannah Wysocki).
Kasey Flores has 33 RBI in LSC play and is leading LCU with 10 home runs in conference.
Taylor Franco (11-3) leads LCU in conference in wins in the circle. Mattye Tyler (5-1) and Maxine Valdez (6-2) have combined for 11 conference wins. Valdez leads LCU with a 2.11 ERA in conference, with Franco holding a 2.12 ERA in LSC play (opponents hitting .176 against Franco) and has three saves in conference.

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 6-6 this season against nationally ranked programs. They have three wins against top-10 programs, which is the most since 2015.
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.
No.7 Texas A&M-Kingsville (4-3 on Apr. 8 in Kingsville, Texas)
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.13.
The NCAA Division II South Central Region Rankings' second week of rankings have LCU at No.2 for a second consecutive week.

Streaking Along

Brooke Makemson and Athena Muniz each co-lead LCU actively on a three-game hit streak. Delrosario has the longest hit streak this season at 17 games.
Savannah Wysocki actively leads LCU with a six-game streak of reaching base safely (She had a 25-game streak earlier this season for the longest streak this season).

In Summary

LCU has a 42-20 scoring advantage in the first inning, with their highest offensive output coming in the fifth innings as they have 60 runs in the inning (outscoring foes 60-12 in the inning).
The Lady Chaps have scored in the first inning in 16 games this season and are 16-0 when doing so. LCU is 28-2 when scoring first.
LCU is 28-4 this season when they hit at least one home run in a game (16-0 when hitting two or more in a game).
The Lady Chaps are 13-1 this season when error free.
In tight contests, LCU has an 8-1 record in one-run games.

Looking at ASU

The Belles went 37-8 last season, finishing third in the LSC with a 22-8 conference mark. ASU qualified for the NCAA Div. II South Central Regional, where they went 0-2. They are 37-8 this season and are fifth in the LSC with a 21-7 conference record.
ASU is hitting .322 this season and have 65 home runs on the season. They have a staff ERA of 2.78 and opponents are hitting .246 against them.
They are 13-4 on the road this season, splitting a doubleheader at No.7 Texas A&M-Kingsville in their prior road games (Apr. 10).
ASU is preseason picked to finish third in the LSC in the LSC Preseason Poll. They are 6-5 this season against nationally ranked opponents.
The Belles rank third nationally in walk, accumulating 195 on the season. Ashlyn Lerma is 15^th nationally with a pace of .76 walks per game.
Paxton Scheurer, who is third nationally with a conference leading 22 home runs, ranks second nationally with 70 RBI.

Print Friendly Version

Lubbock Christian University Athletics

Schedule

Events

Results

Lady Chaps Close Out Regular Season Hosting Nationally Ranked Belles

Senior Day Ceremony Will Be Held Prior to the Game

Senior Day Ceremony Will Be Held Prior to the Game

Related Videos

Related Stories