LUBBOCK, Texas (April 11, 2023) – No.10 Lubbock Christian University returns to the diamond, after a 10-day layoff, hosting Cameron to open a three-game Lone Star Conference series. The two-day series opens Tuesday afternoon with a single game scheduled for 6 p.m. at Maner Park (was originally scheduled for 3 p.m.).
| LONE STAR CONFERENCE SOFTBALL |
| OPPONENT |
LOCATION |
DAY |
TIME (CT) |
WATCH |
STATS |
| Cameron |
Lubbock, Texas |
Tue., Apr. 11 |
6 p.m. |
Video |
Stats |
|
|
|
|
|
| Cameron |
Lubbock, Texas |
Wed., Apr. 12 |
12 p.m. |
Video |
Stats |
| Cameron |
Lubbock, Texas |
Wed., Apr. 12 |
2 p.m. |
Video |
Stats |
| WEATHER |
|
|
|
|
|
LCU and CU Series Snapshot
- The Lady Chaps have a slim all-time series lead at 5-3.
- LCU swept the LSC doubleheader series last season in Lawton, Okla. (Mar. 5, 2022), as LCU won 13-8 and 11-10.
- Six of the eight meetings have been decided by two runs or less.
- This season marks the second ever series in Lubbock. The teams are split (1-1) all-time in Lubbock following a doubleheader split in Lubbock on Mar. 7, 2021.
- Taylor Franco is 3-0 in her LCU career against Cameron with a 3.15 ERA and holding the Aggies to a .231 batting average. She has 18 strikeouts in 20.0 innings pitched.
- Skylar Herrera (six career games) and Kamryn Gibbs (four career games) each have four RBI in their career against the Aggies. Herrera is hitting .391 all-time against CU.
- Maxine Valdez has never been the pitcher of record against Cameron, but has made four career appearances and has 10.1 shutout innings with 18 strikeouts and three hits allowed (Cameron is hitting .088 against Valdez).
- Hannah Wells has one career at-bat against Cameron and it was for a home run, which has her as the only active Lady Chap with a home run against CU.
How is the Team Doing?
- LCU is 32-9 this season and coming off a road series sweep in which LCU took two of three LSC contests in Laredo, Texas against Texas A&M International (placed their LSC record to 22-8).
- This season's 32-9 record includes a 13-game, 10-game and six-game win streak.
- The Lady Chaps are hitting .330 as a team (second in the conference and 34th nationally), with 43 home runs (18th nationally) in 41 games. LCU averages 6.3 runs a contest (third in LSC and 39th nationally).
- In the circle, LCU has an ERA of 1.64 (10th nationally and leads the LSC). Opponents are hitting .169 against LCU this season (leads the LSC). The staff has a WHIP of 0.90 (leads LSC and fourth nationally) and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.51 (leads the LSC and 20th nationally).
- LCU ranks third in the nation in doubles (77) and is 12th in doubles per game (1.9).
- The Lady Chaps have batted in 246 innings this season. They have scored at least one run in 107 of them (43.5% of the innings).
- Defensively, LCU ranks 22nd nationally with a 97.2% fielding percentage. They are fourth in the LSC with 0.34 double plays turned per game.
Who is Doing What?
- Pitcher Maxine Valdez is 13-2 this season with a 1.60 ERA in 83.0 innings pitched (also has two saves, which is tied for 34th nationally). She ranks sixth nationally in WHIP (0.77, leads LSC) and in hits allowed per seven innings (3.80, leads the LSC), 19th nationally averaging 8.9 strikeouts per seven innings and 59th in strikeouts (106, sixth 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 Mar.17 in a win over St. Mary's, which was her fourth of her career. Valdez also claimed NFCA National Pitcher of the Week on Mar. 14 and was Co-Pitcher of the Week in the LSC Mar. 21. She is 32-11 in her career.
- Taylor Franco is 12-6 with a 1.18 ERA (leads the conference) and ranks 16th nationally with 15 complete games (leads LSC). She is tied for 10th nationally in shutouts (6), 13th in hits allowed per seven innings (4.11), 18th in WHIP (0.88) and 22nd in strikeouts (136). 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. She blanked Eastern New Mexico on Mar. 8 to become the 14th NCAA Division II player to reach seven career no-hitters. She is on the Tucci/NFCA Player/Pitcher of the Year Watchlist.
- Franco ranks third actively in NCAA Div. II career shutouts (28), which is 10th actively at all NCAA levels
- Fifth actively in NCAA Div. II career innings pitched (643.0), which is 18th actively at all NCAA levels
- Fifth actively in NCAA Div. II career complete games (65), which is 13th actively at all NCAA levels
- 10th actively in NCAA Div. II career saves (8)
- 12th actively in NCAA Div. II career strikeouts (555)
- 24th actively in NCAA Div. II career strikeouts-per-seven innings (6.0)
- Ranks 28th actively in NCAA Div. II career marks in ERA (1.94)
- New Mexico State transfer Hope Banales is hitting .398 (sixth in the LSC) at the plate with a team-leading 16 doubles, which leads the LSC and is fourth nationally. Banales, who has one LSC Hitter of the Week honor under her belt, has 39 hits to rank tied for ninth in the LSC.
- Kasey Flores leads the team in home runs (16, tied for fourth nationally and co-leads the LSC), RBI (52, third nationally and leads the LSC), total bases (107, sixth nationally and second in the LSC), slugging (0.922, which is seventh nationally and OPS at 1.422). The LSC recognized Kasey as the LSC Hitter of the Week on Feb. 7 and the NFCA named her National Player of the Week on Mar. 28. In 41 games, she has 18 multi-RBI games. She is on the Tucci/NFCA Player/Pitcher of the Year Watchlist.
- In her LCU career, Flores has the 11th-best slugging mark in active-career NCAA Div.II statistics, with a career slugging of .821.
- She has 56 career home runs, which actively ranks tied for 11th among all NCAA levels.
- LCU has a 70-36 advantage this season in stolen bases. Berkeley Quinn leads LCU with 21 stolen bases (fifth in the LSC) and Skylar Herrera has 18 (seventh in the LSC) to place a pair of Lady Chaps in the top-10 in the conference in thefts. LCU has 70 swipes and averages 1.7 in steals per game (fifth in LSC).
- Herrera has 70 career stolen bases, which ranks 24th for active career leaders in NCAA Div. II
- The Lady Chaps have 43 home runs this season (third in LSC) and 10 different Lady Chaps have round-trippers this season.
- Skyler Herrera ranks tied for seventh in the LSC in runs scored with 33.
- Actively ranks 29th in NCAA Div.II in career runs (141)
- 28th in total bases (317)
- 38th in RBI (126)
- 41st in home runs (28)
Lone Star Conference Breakdown
- This season is LCU's fourth season in the LSC.
- LCU is 67-31 all-time in LSC play.
- The Lady Chaps went 23-7 last season in conference.
- LCU is 22-8 in conference play, sitting in third place in the LSC standings.
- LCU is hitting .298 in conference, with 33 home runs (allowed 6).
- The pitching staff has a 1.87 ERA in LSC play, with 200 strikeouts in 195.0 innings and holding opponents to a .179 batting average.
- Hope Banales leads LCU in conference hitting .381 with a .480 on-base percentage.
- Kasey Flores also leads LCU in home runs (12) and RBI (37) in conference play.
- Taylor Franco has a 1.43 ERA and is 9-5 with 101 strikeouts in 103.0 innings. She is averaging an allowance of 4.6 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.10 after spending the prior five weeks at No.11. They have been ranked ranging No.11 - 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 Tuesday with a softball record of 518-166.
- 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
- Kasey Flores is riding a 13-game hit streak, which is the longest by a lady Chaps member this season. Flores is hitting .419 in the past 13 games (18-for-43) with eight homers and 21 RBI.
- Skylar Herrera has the longest streak of reaching base safely at 16 games, with Kasey Flores approaching the mark with an active streak of 14 games reaching base safely.
- Kasey Flores leads the squad with 14 multi-hit games (Tiarra Delrosario, Hope Banales and Berkeley Quinn each have 13).
- Flores leads the team with 18 multi-RBI games.
Home on the Range
- LCU is 310-47 (86.8%) all-time in home games at Maner Park.
- Last season, LCU was 15-6 at home (17-7 in 2021).
- This season, LCU is 22-4 at home.
- LCU played their first 14 games at home this season, which is a program record for home games to start a season.
- LCU is hitting .352 at home and has a 1.52 staff ERA.
- The Lady Chaps have 25 home runs in 26 home games, with 11 hit by Kasey Flores.
- Flores leads LCU with a .472 batting average at home. Hope Banales (.418) is also hitting over .400 at home.
- Maxine Valdez is 9-1 at home and Taylor Franco is 9-3 and has a 0.89 ERA at home. Valdez is averaging 9.4 strikeouts per seven innings at home.
In Summary
- LCU has a 40-15 scoring advantage in the first inning and a 46-7 advantage in the fourth inning, with their highest offensive output coming in the second inning, with a 57-18 scoring advantage. LCU is 15-1 when leading after the first inning and 27-1 when scoring first.
- The Lady Chaps are 28-1 when leading after four innings.
- LCU is 24-3 this season when they hit at least one home run in a game.
- The Lady Chaps are 16-2 when errorless. They are 24-6 when their opponents commit at least one error.
Looking at CU
- The Aggies went 25-24 last season, dropping their final six conference games to finish ninth in the LSC with a 13-17 conference mark. They are 25-16 this season and are tied for fourth in the LSC with a 21-12 conference record.
- CU is hitting .271 this season and have 28 home runs on the season (28-25 advantage in home runs over their opponents). They have a staff ERA of 2.90 and opponents are hitting .225 against them. They have 12 shutouts this season (ranks 11th nationally), with five coming over the previous 10 games.
- Cameron is 5-12 on the road this season. They are seeking to end a two-game road losing streak.
- CU is preseason picked to finish eighth in the LSC in the LSC Preseason Poll.
- Josie Swafford is tied for second in the LSC in shutouts with six, as she is tied with Taylor Franco. She is also ranking 35th nationally hits allowed per seven innings (4.8).
- Kaiden Boren has 18 extra-base hits this season, as she has 10 doubles, a triple and seven home runs.
