LUBBOCK, Texas (February 17, 2023) – It is a top-10 series to open Lone Star Conference play this weekend for No.8 Lubbock Christian University, as they host No.2 Texas Tyler (UT Tyler) for a three-game LSC series at Maner Park. The Lady Chaparrals and Patriots open the series with a 1 p.m. doubleheader Friday.
| LONE STAR CONFERENCE SOFTBALL |
| OPPONENT |
LOCATION |
DAY |
TIME (CT) |
WATCH |
STATS |
| UT Tyler |
Lubbock, Texas |
Fri., Feb. 17 |
1 p.m. |
Video |
Stats |
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| UT Tyler |
Lubbock, Texas |
Fri., Feb. 17 |
3 p.m. |
Video |
Stats |
| UT Tyler |
Lubbock, Texas |
Sat., Feb. 18 |
12 p.m. |
Video |
Stats |
| WEATHER |
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LCU and UTT Series Snapshot
- UTT holds a 4-3 all-time series advantage over the Lady Chaps, which began in 2021.
- The two teams faced each other five times last season, with UTT winning three of the meetings. Three of the meetings were at the NCAA South Central Regional in Tyler, Texas, where LCU won the first meeting (5-1 on May 13, 2022), but UTT rebounding to defeat LCU 3-1 and 9-2 (May 14, 2022) in the bracket championship (ended LCU's season).
- LCU and pitcher Taylor Franco no-hit the Patriots on Mar. 27 and claimed a 3-0 win before falling 6-2 in a doubleheader split at Maner Park in Lubbock during the 2022 regular season's doubleheader split.
- Five of the seven all-time meetings have been in Tyler. LCU is 1-1 against UTT in Lubbock.
- Taylor Franco is 2-1 with a 2.93 ERA and 17 strikeouts in five career appearances (28.2 innings) against UTT.
- Kamryn Gibbs is 6-for-19 (.316) in her career (seven games) verses UTT.
- Skylar Herrera is 8-for-21 (.381) in her career (seven games), which includes a home run and five RBI, against UTT.
How is the Team Doing?
- LCU is 10-1 this season and all 11 prior games have been played at home.
- For the first time in program history, LCU dropped a home opener, but they have bounced back with 10 straight wins.
- The Lady Chaps are hitting .418 as a team (sixth nationally), with 10 home runs (15th nationally) in 11 games. LCU averages 7.8 runs a contest (16th nationally).
- In the circle, LCU has an ERA of 0.97 (fourth nationally). Opponents are hitting .139 against LCU this season. The staff has a WHIP of 0.71 (second nationally) and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 4.93 (ranks 10th nationally).
- LCU leads the nation in doubles (31) and is sixth in doubles per game (2.8).
- The Lady Chaps have batted in 56 innings this season. They have scored at least one run in 36 of them (64.3% of the innings).
- Defensively, LCU ranks 13th nationally with a 98.2% fielding percentage. They are third in the LSC with 0.45 double plays turned per game.
Who is Doing What?
- Pitcher Maxine Valdez is 4-0 this season (tied for 12th nationally in wins) with a 0.47 ERA in 19.0 innings pitched. She ranks sixth nationally in WHIP (.42), seventh in hits allowed per seven innings (2.21), 33rd in strikeout-to-walk ratio (12.0), 38th nationally averaging 8.8 strikeouts per seven innings and 42nd in strikeouts (24). Valdez held Emporia State to one hit in a complete game shutout on Feb. 10 and followed the next day (Feb. 11) with a complete game no-hitter against Chadron State. She faced one batter over the minimum in the one-hitter and faced the minimum in the no-hitter. Valdez improved to 23-9 in her career with her no-hitter, as she posted her third complete game of the season (10th of her career and her three this season rank tied for 21st nationally) and her second shutout of the campaign (fifth of her career). She completed her third career no-hitter (tied for second in LCU's career totals for no-hitters) and first since April 1, 2022 (vs. Texas Woman's), which was LCU's prior no-hitter. It was LCU's 24th no-hitter in program history. LCU claimed their 25th on Feb. 12 as Taylor Franco pitched a no-hitter, marking the second consecutive season the two have thrown a no-hitter in the same season. Valdez claimed LSC Pitcher of the Week honors.
- Taylor Franco is 3-1 with a 0.25 ERA (27th nationally) and ranks tied for fifth nationally with four complete games. She has a pace of 8.8 strikeouts per seven innings (ranks 40th nationally).
- Franco ranks third actively in NCAA Div. II career shutouts (24), which is seventh actively at all NCAA levels.
- Fifth actively in NCAA Div. II career complete games (54)
- Fifth actively in NCAA Div. II career innings pitched (540.0)
- Seventh actively in NCAA Div. II career saves (7)
- 11th actively in NCAA Div. II career strikeouts (454)
- 13th actively in NCAA Div. II career strikeouts-per-seven innings (5.89)
- Ranks 18th actively in NCAA Div. II career marks in ERA (2.04)
- New Mexico State transfer Hope Banales is hitting .448 (seventh in the LSC) at the plate (13/29) with a team-leading seven doubles, which co-leads the nation.
- Kasey Flores leads the team in hits (15, 18th nationally) and leads the team in home runs (4, tied-sixth nationally), RBI (15, 12th nationally), total bases (32, ninth nationally), slugging (1.067, which is 23rd nationally and OPS at 1.662). She ranks second in the LSC hitting .500 on the season. The LSC recognized Kasey as the LSC Hitter of the Week this week. Se led the offense with a .500 average on the week. Flores was 8-for-16 at the plate, leading the Lady Chaps in hits (8), triples (1), RBI (7), total bases (16) and slugging (1.000). She co-led in doubles (3) and home runs (1). Flores had hits in five contests and a pair of multi-hit performances. She produced a trio of multi-RBI performances, including a three-RBI contest in a 3-for-3 outing at the plate against Adams State. In two-out at-bats, Flores was 5-for-8 (.625) leading to four two-out-RBI.
- In her career, Flores has the fourth-best slugging mark in active-career NCAA Div.II statistics, with a career slugging of .797.
- She has 44 career home runs, which ranks tied for 11th among all active NCAA players (all levels).
- LCU has a 31-4 advantage this season in stolen bases. Berkeley Quinn leads LCU with 10 stolen bases (fifth nationally) and Skylar Herrera has nine thefts on the campaign (seventh nationally). LCU ranks sixth nationally with 31 swipes and 16th in steals per game (2.8).
- Herrera has 61 career stolen bases, which ranks 17th for active career leaders in NCAA Div. II
- The Lady Chaps have 10 home runs this season and seven different Lady Chaps have round-trippers this season.
- Skylar Herrera ranks second in the LSC in runs per game (1.36), ninth in hits (9) and 10th in on-base percentage (.553) and total bases (20).
- Actively ranks 17th in NCAA Div.II in career runs (124)
- 25th in total bases (271)
- 34th in home runs (24)
- 34th in RBI (108)
- 43rd in slugging (.658)
- 46th in hits (151) and batting average (.367)
Home on the Range
- LCU is 298-44 (87.1%) all-time in home games at Maner Park.
- Last season, LCU was 15-6 at home (17-7 in 2021).
- This season, LCU is 10-1 at home.
- LCU will play their first 14 games at home this season, which is a program record for home games to start a season.
Lone Star Conference Breakdown
- This season is LCU's fourth season in the LSC.
- LCU is 45-23 all-time in LSC play.
- The Lady Chaps went 23-7 last season in conference.
Conference Openers
- LCU is 9-6 all-time in conference openers.
- The Lady Chaps, who went 2-4 in Heartland Conference openers and 5-1 in Sooner Athletic Conference openers, are 2-1 in LSC openers after a 4-3 win on Mar. 4, 2022 vs. Oklahoma Christian in Oklahoma City.
Season Expectations
- The Lady Chaps are preseason picked to finish fourth in the Lone Star Conference.
- LCU is in their ninth season playing a NCAA Division II schedule (2013 was their last season in NAIA) and this is their fourth season as members of the Lone Star Conference.
- There are 15 softball programs in the LSC this season. The major difference from last season to this season is Texas A&M-Commerce made the move to NCAA Division I.
National Notes
- Lubbock Christian is 0-1 this season against nationally ranked programs.
- The Lady Chaps went 9-10 last season (2022) against nationally ranked programs.
- LCU opened the season No.21 in the NFCA National Top-25 Coaches Preseason Poll. This week they are ranked No.8
Coach Talk
- LCU head coach Daren Hays is in his 13th season at the helm of the Lady Chaps.
- Hays is LCU's winningest softball head coach, entering Friday with a softball record of 496-158.
- 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.
Streaking Along
In Summary
- LCU has a 16-0 scoring advantage in the first inning, with their highest offensive output coming in the second inning, with a 28-3 scoring advantage. LCU is 7-0 when leading after the first inning and 10-0 when scoring first.
- The Lady Chaps are 10-0 when leading after four innings.
- LCU is 7-0 this season when they hit at least one home run in a game.
- The Lady Chaps are 10-0 when committing an error-or-less in a game. They are 10-0 when their opponents commit at least one error.
Looking at UTT
- The Patriots qualified for the program's first NCAA Division II postseason last season by receiving an at-large bid after posting a 41-5 regular season record. They also advanced to their first NCAA Div. II Softball World Series, where they went 2-2 and fell to eventual champion Rogers State.
- The Pats are 7-1 this season and nationally ranked No.2. They have won four consecutive games since dropping their lone contest of the season (Feb. 5 loss to No.8 Central Oklahoma).
- UTT is hitting .318 this season (fifth in the LSC) and have four home runs on the season. They have a staff ERA of 2.11 (fifth in the LSC) and opponents are hitting .241 against them (seventh in the LSC).
- They have not played a true road game this season.
- Maddie Melton leads the LSC in sacrifice bunts per game (.38, 21st nationally) and is tied for fourth nationally with a conference-leading two sacrifice flies. UTT ranks 12th nationally with four sac-flies.
- Tatum Goff, a LSC preseason pitcher of the year selection, is 5-0 this season (tied for fifth nationally) and ranks eighth in the LSC with a 0.78 ERA. Kaylee Davis is 1-0 with a save and has a 0.00 ERA in 8.0 innings pitched. She went 10-0 last season. UTT also has Shea O'Leary, who was a two-time All-Big 12 selection at Texas before transferring to Tyler.
