GULF SHORES, Ala. (February 2, 2024) – The 2024 Lubbock Christian University softball season, which is the 17th in program history, gets underway Friday with a pair of neutral site contests, as the Lady Chaps face Valdosta State (10 a.m.) and Auburn-Montgomery (12:30 p.m.) at Gulf Shores Sportsplex.
| GULF SHORES INVITATIONAL |
| OPPONENT |
LOCATION |
DAY |
TIME (CT) |
WATCH |
STATS |
| Valdosta State |
Gulf Shores Sportsplex (Field 3) |
Fri. Feb. 2 |
10:00 a.m. |
None |
Stats |
| AUM |
Gulf Shores Sportsplex (Field 1) |
Fri. Feb. 2 |
12:30 p.m. |
None |
Stats |
LCU and VSU Series Snapshot
- Lubbock Christian leads the all-time series 1-0.
- LCU last faced VSU on Feb. 1, 2020 which was the second game of the opening day of the 2020 season. LCU won the game 4-3 in Gulf Shores, as Angela Donaldson hit a pinch-hit three-run home run in the seventh inning to force extra-innings, and LCU won the game in the eighth inning. The win was Daren Hays' 400th career win.
- The Lady Chaps are 5-0 all-time against Georgia based programs.
LCU and AUM Series Snapshot
- The all-time series between LCU and AUM is tied at 1-1.
- AUM won the previous meeting in nine innings, as they tallied a four-run ninth for an 8-4 win over the Lady Chaps on Feb. 5, 2022 in Gulf Shores.
- LCU's only win in the all-time series came on Mar. 6, 2009, as Kelly Griego's four-hit shutout helped LCU claim a 5-0 win in Panama City Beach, Fla.
Season Expectations
- The Lady Chaps are preseason picked to finish fourth in the Lone Star Conference.
- LCU is in their 10th season playing a NCAA Division II schedule (2013 was their last season in NAIA) and this is their fifth season as members of the Lone Star Conference.
- Lubbock Christian University has made regional appearances the past two seasons.
Opening Day
- LCU is 14-2 all-time in season openers.
- Seven of LCU's season openers have resulted in shutout wins.
- On Feb. 13, 2008, LCU's season opener and inaugural game in program history resulted in a 15-0 no-hit victory over Southwest (N.M.).
- The two losses in season openers have occurred over the prior two seasons, including their last season opener played in Gulf Shores: a 5-4 loss to West Alabama on Feb. 5, 2022.
- LCU opened last season at home and fell 2-0 to No.22 Washburn.
Back to Bama
- LCU is making a return trip to Alabama, as this season marks their fourth trip to southern Alabama over the last five seasons. Their 2020 season opener in Gulf Shores, Ala. was their first return to Alabama since the 2012 NAIA Softball Championships.
- The Lady Chaps appeared in three national championship tournaments in Gulf Shores (2011, 2012, 2013) and played the 2008-2010 national tournaments in Decatur, Ala.
- LCU, who opened last season in Mobile, Ala., is 9-6 all-time in games played at Gulf Shores Sportsplex.
Last Season
- LCU went 40-17 last season and was tied for third in the Lone Star Conference with a 29-13 conference mark.
- They qualified for the NCAA Division II South Central Regional, where they went 1-2.
- LCU went 9-11 last season against nationally ranked programs last season.
- The Lady Chaps went 24-8 last season at home, 15-7 on the road and 1-2 in neutral site games.
- LCU was 0-9 against nationally ranked programs last season (11-game losing streak against nationally ranked programs).
The New Kids
- Ten (10) Lady Chaps on the roster seek to make their LCU debut.
- There are six freshman: Cat Prisock (Iowa Park, Texas), Berkley Browder (Canyon, Texas), Paige Luzader (Denton, Texas), Reese Farrar (Abilene, Texas), Shelby Robinson (Lubbock, Texas) and Chloe Constantino (Levelland, Texas).
- There are two transfers bringing Division I experience: Houston transfer Baylea Myers and Taryn Westbrook, who transferred to LCU from Southwestern Oklahoma State and previously played for Nichols State.
- Two transfers coming from the juco ranks are Teoni Lamb (Weatherford College) and Kaylee Sheets (Colby Community College).
Guess Who's Back
- The Lady Chaps offense returns nine of their 11 batters that had at least 50 at-bats last season. LCU returns All-Region selections Skylar Herrera (infield), Hope Banales (outfield) and Tiarra Delrosario (utility), along with Riley Flores (infield) and Maxine Valdez (pitcher), who were All-Conference selections (LCU returns five All-LSC selections). Fourteenth-year head coach Daren Hays will have to replace All-America selections Kasey Flores and Taylor Franco this season.
- LSC Player to Watch… Skylar Herrers : Enters the 2024 season ranking seventh in program history in games played (180) and is fifth in program history in games started (180). A career .348 hitter, the program's career co-leader in sacrifice flies (13) ranks in the top-10 in program history in stolen bases (third with 79), walks (fourth, 64), at-bats (fifth, 557), RBI (sixth, 141), runs (sixth, 149), hits (sixth, 194), triples (seventh, 9), home runs (seventh, 33). Herrera had a career-best season in 2023, hitting a career-high 56 hits and swiping 27 bases (ranked fifth in LSC). Hitting .318 in 57 games, Herrera claimed her first All-Region Team honors (NFCA) and became a three-time All-Conference selection.
- LSC Pitcher to Watch… Maxine Valdez : Embarks on her fifth season as a member of the Lady Chaps. A Lone Star Conference Athletic Performance All-Conference Team selection last season, Valdez completed her second All-Conference season with a 17-7 record in the circle and with a 2.74 ERA and 159 strikeouts in 125.1 innings. The Buda, Texas native matched a program single-season record with four no-hitters this season (has six in her career, which is second in program history) and was the LSC's only four-time Pitcher of the Week (during the season). On April 28, 2023, she matched the program single-game record for strikeouts with 16 in her latest no-hitter. Through 83 career pitching appearances (ranks third in program history), Valdez enters the 2024 season ranking in the top-10 in program history in strikeouts per seven innings (first, 8.6), opponent's batting average (first, .196), strikeouts (third, 391), games finished (third, 29), shutouts (fourth, 10), innings pitched (fourth, 318.1), wins (fifth, 36), ERA (fifth, 2.57), starts (fifth, 50), saves (tied-fifth, 5) and complete games (tied-seventh, 20).
Coach Talk
- LCU head coach Daren Hays is in his 14th season at the helm of the Lady Chaps.
- Hays is LCU's winningest softball head coach, entering the season with a softball record of 526-174.
- 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. Combine the two sports and Hays has coached in 1,219 total games at LCU.
Looking at VSU
- The Blazers went 34-16 last season, finishing fifth in the Gulf South Conference (GSC) with a 19-11 conference mark.
- VSU has won their prior two season openers, including their 2022 season opener over No.4 West Texas A&M (their last time opening in Gulf Shores).
- Valdosta State is slated to finish fifth in the 13-team GSC Preseason Poll.
- The Blazers are playing their first 11 games away from home and four of their five games in Gulf Shores are nationally ranked or receiving Top-25 national votes.
- Abby Sulte is a Preseason All-GSC selection. The Second Team NFCA All-Region hit a team-high .379 last season, producing 20 home runs and 55 RBI through 50 games.
- Sydney Ray (P, Tallahassee CC), Brandi Seber ( C, Pensacola State College) and Toree Wofford (UTL, Villa Rica H.S. in Dallas, Ga.) are GSC Newcomers to Watch for VSU.
Looking at AUM
- The Warhawks went 37-19 last season, finishing fourth in the GSC with a 22-7 conference mark. They qualified to the NCAA Division II South Regional, where they went 2-2 (fell twice to Nova Southeastern).
- AUM is making their third consecutive trip to open their season in Gulf Shores, where they have compiled a 5-2 record over the prior to seasons.
- The Warhawks is slated to finish fourth in the 12-team GSC Preseason Poll.
- Molly Cobb, Chloe Derrick, and Kat Fallen were named to the 2024 Softball Preseason All-Gulf South Conference Team and Chelisa Newsome and Bella Santos were tabbed to the 2024 GSC Softball Newcomers Watchlist.
- AUM is receiving Top-25 national votes in the NFCA Top-25 .
