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22_SB_GameDay_37_38

Another Series Against a Top-10 Foe For Lady Chaps

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

Lady Chaps, 4-4 Against Nationally Ranked Programs This Season, Head To Kingsville For First Time Since 2016

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KINGSVILLE, Texas (April 8, 2022) – Lubbock Christian University's eight-game Lone Star conference road trips continues in Kingsville, where the No.15 Lady Chaparrals face their only nationally program of the trip: No.7 Texas A&M-Kingsville. The Lone Star Conference doubleheader is set for a 4 p.m. doubleheader at Hubert Field.
LONE STAR CONFERENCE SOFTBALL
OPPONENT LOCATION CITY TIME WATCH STATS LCU STATS OPP. STATS
TAMUK Hubert Field Kingsville, Texas 4 p.m. Video Stats Season Season
TAMUK Hubert Field Kingsville, Texas 6 p.m. Video Stats Season Season

WUNDERGROUND WEATHER: Mainly sunny. High 86F. N winds shifting to SE at 10 to 15 mph... Expected game-time temp: 84F (4 p.m.) and 81F (6 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 TAMUK Series Snapshot
  • LCU has a 4-3 lead in the all-time series.
  • TAMUK has won the prior two meetings after sweeping LCU last season in Lubbock with a 4-0 and 11-2 (6 inn.) win (Apr. 16, 2021).
  • LCU is 2-0 all-time in Kingsville, winning 9-1 and 8-0 in a 2016 doubleheader sweep.
  • Athena Muniz is LCU's active leader against TAMUK, hitting .600 (3-for-5) with a RBI.
 
How is the Team Doing?
  • LCU is 30-6 this season and 16-4 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 .353 as a team (11th nationally), with 51 home runs (seventh nationally and eighth in home runs per game, 1.4) and 59 doubles (total ranks 29th nationally and their rate of 1.64 per game ranks 46th nationally) in 36 games. LCU averages 7.7 runs a contest (eighth nationally).
  • In the circle, LCU has an ERA of 2.55 (49th nationally). Opponents are hitting .219 against LCU this season (third in the LSC).
  • The Lady Chaps are 18th in shutouts, with nine, and five of LCU's shutouts are no-hitters. LCU leads the nation with five no-hitters.
  • LCU is ninth nationally in stolen bases per game (2.94) and 99th in fielding percentage (.960). They are 13th nationally with 15 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 17-1 this season, which has her leading the Lone Star Conference and ranked tied for fourth 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 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 18th nationally), which has her with a program-record 21 in her LCU career (ranks eighth among active Division II pitchers). Franco leads the LSC in hits allowed per seven innings (4.43, 29th nationally), third in complete games (11), fifth in WHIP (.099) and strikeouts (112) and eighth in ERA (1.82). Entering Friday, Franco has 52 wins in her LCU career, which is third in program history and tied for 15th among active Division II players. She also ranks second all-time in program history in appearances (91, 27th among active Division II pitchers) and strikeouts (385, 29th among active Division II pitchers), third all-time in career starts (75, 20th 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 1.97 ERA (29th among active Division II pitchers) and a pace of 5.91 strikeouts per seven innings (21st among active Division II pitchers).
  • Pitcher Maxine Valdez is 8-3 this season with a 2.31 ERA in 81.2 innings pitched. She ranks seventh in the LSC in hits allowed per seven innings (5.4). She has registered two saves, which has her tied for 32nd nationally (five leads the nation) and is tied for fifth in the LSC. She ranks eighth in the LSC in strikeouts with 104 (8.9 per seven innings ranks second in the LSC and 31st nationally). Friday at Texas Woman's, she completed her second career no-hitter, which was the program's 23rd 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 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 13th nationally (third in the LSC).
  • Angela Donaldson enters the series leading LCU in hitting, with an average of .479, which leads the conference and 14th nationally. Donaldson had a trio of three-hit performances and at least one hit in all four games last weekend. She went 6-for-7 in the combined doubleheader at Texas Woman's and then followed going 4-for-7 in the combined doubleheader at Midwestern State. Donaldson had at least one RBI in each of the games, including a go-ahead two-run double in the final game at Midwestern State, which completed LCU's completion of a rally from a 3-0 deficit. Her five RBI on the week co-led the team. She was 6-for-8 in at-bats with the bases empty, including going 4-for-4 reaching base in a leadoff at-bat. Donaldson was also 4-for-4 with runners in scoring position and 2-for-2 in scoring the runner from third base with less than two outs.
  • Tyla Lee is hitting .407 (13th in the LSC) with 46 hits and 36 RBI (17 with two outs). Her 46 hits ranks 10th 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 12 (second in the LSC and seventh nationally). Flores sits 18th actively among NCAA Division II leaders in home runs with 35 (the mark includes her UTEP totals).
  • Skylar Herrera, tied for second on the squad with 10 homers (fifth in the LSC), has 11 stolen bases on the season, placing her with 49 in her career.
  • LCU is 11th 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 20th nationally).
  • Tyla Lee leads LCU in multi-hit games (15). Brooke Makemson and Skylar Herrera each co-lead LCU 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 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 477-151.
  • 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 13-0 this season in road contests.
  • The Lady Chaps are hitting .372 (24 home runs) in road tilts, and contributing a 2.75 ERA in the circle (opponents hitting .252).  
  • Angela Donaldson leads LCU with a .550 average in road games. Skylar Herrera has provided LCU a team-co-leading five home runs and leads with 18 RBI on the road this season.
  • LCU has 24 home runs on the road and hit by 10 different individuals.
  • Taylor Franco (8-0) and Mattye Tyler (4-0) have 12 of LCU's 13 wins of record on the road for LCU. Franco has a 1.53 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 2.30 ERA.
 
Lone Star Conference Breakdown
  • This season is LCU's third season in the LSC.
  • LCU is 38-20 all-time in LSC play.
  • The Lady Chaps are 16-4 this season in conference contests. They opened conference play 4-0 for their best conference start since 2015. Their current 16-4 record has them in a four-way tie for first place in the LSC standings.
  • They are hitting .353 in conference, with 30 home runs and an average of 7.8 runs per game. In the circle, they have a 3.15 ERA and opponents are hitting .236.
  • Angela Donaldson leads LCU in conference play, hitting .491 in conference (27 hits, which co-leads alongside Savannah Wysocki).
  • Kasey Flores has 23 RBI in LSC play and is leading LCU with seven home runs in conference.
  • Taylor Franco (9-1) leads LCU in conference in wins in the circle (Mattye Tyler is 5-1), as Franco and Maxine Valdez each have two saves. Franco leads LCU with a 2.32 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.15.
 
Streaking Along
  • Brooke Makemson leads LCU actively on a eight-game hit streak. Tiarra Delrosario has the longest hit streak this season at 17 games.
  • Makemson also actively leads LCU with a 14-game streak of reaching base safely (Savannah Wysocki had a 25-game streak for the longest streak this season).
 
In Summary
  • LCU has a 38-17 scoring advantage in the first inning, with their highest offensive output coming in the fifth innings as they have 52 runs in the inning (outscoring foes 52-11 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 24-3 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 TAMUK
  • The Javelinas went 26-15 last season, finishing sixth in the LSC with a 17-9 conference mark. They are 33-6 this season and are fifth in the LSC with a 11-5 conference record.
  • TAMUK is hitting .377 this season and have 40 home runs on the season. They have a staff ERA of 1.79 and opponents are hitting .215 against them.
  • They are 11-1 at home this season, seeking to extend a six-game home win streak.
  • TAMUK is preseason picked to finish sixth in the LSC in the LSC Preseason Poll.
  • The Javelinas co-lead the nation in shutouts with 15 on the season.
  • Loren Kelly is second in the nation in stolen bases with 37.
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