Skip To Main Content

Lubbock Christian University Athletics

Schedule

Events

Results

Full Calendar
23_SB_Gameday_33_34

Lady Chaps Head West for Three-Game LSC Series

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

LCU and WNMU Open Three-Game Set in Silver City, N.M.

SILVER CITY, N.M. (March 21, 2023) – No. 11 Lubbock Christian University heads west for a Lone Star Conference three-game series against Western New Mexico, which opens Tuesday with a 1 p.m. (Central) doubleheader at Mustang Field.
 
LONE STAR CONFERENCE SOFTBALL
OPPONENT LOCATION DAY TIME (CT) WATCH STATS
WNMU Silver City, N.M. Tue., Mar. 21 1 p.m. Video Stats
WNMU Silver City, N.M. Tue., Mar. 21 3 p.m. Video Stats
WNMU Silver City, N.M. Wed., Mar. 22 1 p.m. Video Stats
WEATHER
 
 
LCU and WNMU Series Snapshot
  • LCU leads the all-time series over WNMU, 12-0.
  • The first 10 meetings of the all-time series have been in Lubbock, with last season's doubleheader LSC series sweep by LCU (10-4 and 14-0 on Mar. 18, 2022) marking the only contests in Silver City.
  • LCU has an average of 10.9 runs for and 1.8 runs allowed in the series. LCU has scored at least 10 runs in 10 of the 12 all-time meetings.
  • LCU has shutout the Mustangs in six of the prior seven meetings.
  • Skylar Herrera is 4-for-8 (.500) in four career games against WNMU, with two home runs and 10 RBI.
  • LCU pitcher Taylor Franco is 2-0 all-time against WNMU with a save and a 0.00 ERA. She has 10 strikeouts in 11.1 career innings against the mustangs and has held WNMU to a .077 batting average.
 
How is the Team Doing?
  • LCU is 24-8 this season and coming off a home series sweep of St. Mary's in LSC play (placed their LSC record to 14-7).
  • This season's 24-8 record includes a 10-game and six-game win streak (currently on a five-game win streak).
  • The Lady Chaps are hitting .335 as a team (leads conference and 28th nationally), with 28 home runs (21st nationally) in 32 games. LCU averages 6.3 runs a contest (second in LSC and 40th nationally).
  • In the circle, LCU has an ERA of 1.83 (22nd nationally and second in the LSC). Opponents are hitting .180 against LCU this season (leads the LSC). The staff has a WHIP of 0.96 (leads LSC and sixth nationally) and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.4 (leads the LSC and 21st nationally).
  • LCU is second in the nation in doubles (63) and is 12th in doubles per game (2.0).
  • The Lady Chaps have batted in 187 innings this season. They have scored at least one run in 85 of them (45.5% of the innings).
  • Defensively, LCU ranks ninth nationally with a 97.6% fielding percentage. They are third in the LSC with 0.31 double plays turned per game.
 
Who is Doing What?
  • Pitcher Maxine Valdez is 10-2 this season with a 1.85 ERA in 60.2 innings pitched (also has two saves, which is tied for 16th nationally). She ranks 16th nationally in WHIP (0.81, leads LSC), 14th in hits allowed per seven innings (4.4, co-leads the LSC), 21st nationally averaging 9.2 strikeouts per seven innings and 37th in strikeouts (80, seventh in the LSC). On Feb. 11, Valdez posted a complete game no-hitter against Chadron State. She completed her second no-hitter of the season Friday in a win over St. Mary's, which was her second of the season and fourth of her career. Valdez also claimed NFCA National Pitcher of the Week on Mar. 14. She is 29-11 in her career.
  • Taylor Franco is 9-6 with a 1.36 ERA (third in the conference) and ranks tied for fifth nationally with 12 complete games (leads LSC). She is tied for fourth nationally in shutouts (5), ninth in strikeouts (107), 23rd in hits allowed per seven innings (4.3), 38th in WHIP (0.94). She claimed NFCA National Pitcher of the week honors on Mar. 1 (first of her career). On Mar. 5, she became the second Lady Chaps pitcher in program history to surpass 500 career strikeouts. This home series is her first time back home following her seventh career no-hitter, blanking Eastern New Mexico on Mar. 8 to become the 14th NCAA Division II player to reach seven career no-hitters (it was the program's 26th no-hitter).
    • Franco ranks third actively in NCAA Div. II career shutouts (27), which is ninth actively at all NCAA levels.
    • Fourth actively in NCAA Div. II career complete games (62)
    • Fourth actively in NCAA Div. II career innings pitched (615)
    • 11th actively in NCAA Div. II career strikeouts (526)
    • 13th actively in NCAA Div. II career saves (7)
    • 21st actively in NCAA Div. II career strikeouts-per-seven innings (6.0)
    • Ranks 31st actively in NCAA Div. II career marks in ERA (2.00)
  • New Mexico State transfer Hope Banales is hitting .407 (fourth in the LSC) at the plate with a team-leading 13 doubles, which leads the LSC and is fourth nationally. LCU's leader in hits (35, fifth in the LSC) is the reigning LSC Hitter of the Week.
  • Kasey Flores leads the team in home runs (10, 13th nationally and third in the LSC), RBI (39, sixth nationally and leads the LSC), total bases (74, 15th nationally and third in the LSC), slugging (0.871, which is 37th nationally and OPS at 1.380). The LSC recognized Kasey as the LSC Hitter of the Week on Feb. 7. In 32 games, she has 14 multi-RBI games.
    • In her LCU career, Flores has the eighth-best slugging mark in active-career NCAA Div.II statistics, with a career slugging of .789.
    • She has 50 career home runs, which actively ranks tied for 12th among all NCAA levels.
  • LCU has a 53-33 advantage this season in stolen bases. Berkeley Quinn and Skylar Herrera leads LCU with 16 stolen bases (tied for fourth in the LSC and 35th nationally). LCU has 53 swipes and averages 1.7 in steals per game (sixth in LSC).
    • Herrera has 68 career stolen bases, which ranks 20th for active career leaders in NCAA Div. II
  • The Lady Chaps have 28 home runs this season (third in LSC) and nine different Lady Chaps have round-trippers this season.
  • Skyler Herrera ranks tied for seventh in the LSC in runs scored with 26 (tied with Quinn).
    • Actively ranks 25th in NCAA Div.II in career runs (135)
    • 34th in total bases (294)
    • 48th in home runs (25)
    • 41st in RBI (118)
 
Lone Star Conference Breakdown
  • This season is LCU's fourth season in the LSC.
  • LCU is 59-30 all-time in LSC play.
  • The Lady Chaps went 23-7 last season in conference.
  • LCU is 14-7 in conference play, sitting in fifth in the LSC standings.
    • LCU is hitting .292 in conference, with 18 home runs.
    • The pitching staff has a 2.25 ERA in LSC play, with 140 strikeouts in 134.0 innings and holding opponents to a .199 batting average.
    • Hope Banales leads LCU in conference hitting .386 with a .478 on-base percentage.
    • Kasey Flores leads LCU in home runs (6) and RBI (24) in conference play.
    • Taylor Franco has a 1.77 ERA and is 6-5 with 72 strikeouts in 75.0 innings. She is averaging an allowance of 4.95 hits per seven innings in LSC play.
 
 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 0-4 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. LCU is currently ranked No.11, falling from No.10. They have previously been ranked ranging No.10 - No.7 this season.

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 Saturday with a softball record of 510-165.
  • Along with surpassing 500 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
  • Hope Banales currently has an active nine-game hit streak leading the team, which is the highest by a Lady Chap this season. Banales is hitting .467 (14/30) during the current hit streak.
  • Banales is also the active-leading streak in games reached-base-safely at 11 games, joining Skylar Herrera and Berkeley Quinn who have each had a streak of reaching base safely in 11 consecutive games this season.
  • Hope Banales and Kasey Flores co-lead the squad with 11 multi-hit games.
  • Kasey Flores leads the team with 14 multi-RBI games.
 
Road Review
  • LCU is 5-4 this season in road contests.
  • The Lady Chaps are hitting .265 (six home runs) in road tilts, and contributing a 2.33 ERA in the circle (opponents hitting .234).
  • Riley Flores leads LCU with a .333 average in road games. She is one of five players with at least seven hits on the road (no Lady Chap has more than eight).
  • LCU has six home runs on the road and hit by five different individuals.
  • Kasey Flores leads LCU with six RBI in road contests.
  • Ashlinn Hamilton is 2-0 this season with a 1.56 ERA on the road in two appearances. Maxine Valdez is 2-1 with a save and has 19 strikeouts (three walks) in 18.2 innings.
 
In Summary
  • LCU has a 28-12 scoring advantage in the first inning and a 41-5 advantage in the fourth inning, with their highest offensive output coming in the second inning, with a 49-16 scoring advantage. LCU is 11-1 when leading after the first inning and 20-1 when scoring first.
  • The Lady Chaps are 20-1 when leading after four innings.
  • LCU is 17-3 this season when they hit at least one home run in a game.
  • The Lady Chaps are 15-2 when errorless. They are 20-5 when their opponents commit at least one error.

Looking at WNMU
  • The Mustangs went 7-37 last season, finishing 16th in the LSC with a 4-26 conference mark. They are 3-23 this season and are 15th in the LSC (last) with a 1-17 conference record.
  • WNMU is hitting .212 this season and have 15 home runs on the season. They have a staff ERA of 7.40 and opponents are hitting .371 against them.
  • They are 0-9 this season at home, looking to snap a 14-game losing streak at home, with the nine home games ranking tied in the conference for fewest home games played.  
  • WNMU is preseason picked to finish 15th in the LSC in the LSC Preseason Poll. They are 0-6 this season against nationally ranked opponents.
  • The Mustangs best national statistic is home runs, ranking 67th nationally with 15 on the season. Nine different Mustangs have at least one home run on the season and Byana Munoz leads the team with three.
  • Kamerynn Cardova ranks 45th nationally in starts in the circle with 13. She is 2-11 with a 6.02 ERA. The team leader in strikeouts has 42 in 66.1 innings pitched this season.
Print Friendly Version

Related Videos

Now Playing:

Related Stories