LUBBOCK, Texas (February 16, 2024) – After 13 days and three game cancelations (weather), Lubbock Christian University returns to the diamond Friday for their home and Lone Star Conference openers, as they host No.22 Oklahoma Christian for a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Maner Park on the LCU campus.
| LONE STAR CONFERENCE SOFTBALL |
| OPPONENT |
LOCATION |
DAY |
TIME (CT) |
WATCH |
STATS |
| Oklahoma Christian |
Maner Park |
Fri. Feb. 16 |
1:00 p.m. |
Video |
Stats |
| Oklahoma Christian |
Maner Park |
Fri. Feb. 16 |
3:00 p.m. |
Video |
Stats |
WEATHER
LCU and OC Series Snapshot
- LCU leads the all-time series over OC, 37-24, with OC on a six-game win streak in the head-to-head series. The 61 all-time meetings marks OC as LCU's most common opponent all-time.
- The Lady Chaps went 0-5 last season against Oklahoma Christian, who swept LCU in the regular season (a three-game series Mar. 3-4, 2023 in Oklahoma City, Okla.) and then twice in Tyler, Texas at the NCAA Div.II South Central Regional (May 11-12, 2023).
- OC has won 13 of the last 15 meetings.
- After eight meetings outside of Lubbock, the two teams are meeting in Lubbock for the first time since Mar. 5, 2021. LCU 18-4 all-time against OC in Lubbock, with the Lady Eagles claiming wins in the prior three meetings. LCU has not defeated OC since Mar. 4, 2022 and has not defeated them in Lubbock since Apr. 16, 2019.
- Skylar Herrera (9) and Tiarra Delrosario (7) have combined for 16 career hits against OC. Herrera is LCU's active career leader in RBI in the series with four. Bailey Hughes has three RBI in two career appearances against OC.
- Maxine Valdez has a career 4.42 ERA against OC in eight career appearances. Valdez has 33 strikeouts in 36.2 career innings verses OC.
Season Tidbits
- The Lady Chaps are 1-3 on the season, but they have had their last three games canceled due to weather.
- LCU has been without starting infielder and returning All-Region selection Skylar Herrera this season. Herrera is a three-time All-Conference selection with 180 career games started.
- Maxine Valdez has a 1-1 record in the circle with a 1.40 ERA. She has 12 strikeouts in 10.0 innings, with one walk issued over the span. Valdez ranks 36th nationally with 8.4 strikeouts per seven innings.
- LCU pitchers have a 5.67 strikeout-to-walk ratio, which is fifth nationally and is second in the LSC.
- Teoni Lamb ranks 16th in the nation in WHIP with a mark of 0.71. She is one of 22 players nationally that are eligible to co-lead the nation with a 0.00 mark of walks per seven innings, as she has no walks allowed in 7.0 innings pitched.
- The Lady Chaps rank 28th nationally in WHIP (1.16), which ranks fourth in the LSC.
- LCU has allowed 18 runs this season, but seven have been unearned (LCU has nine errors through four games).
- LCU is hitting .267 as a team, with Sydnee Bowlin and Tiarra Delrosario each co-leading the team with four hits.
- Bailey Hughes, leading the team in home runs (1) and RBI (3), is leading the squad hitting .500 on the season (3-for-6).
- Bailey Hughes and Ally Oyanguren co-lead in extra-base hits with two each.
- Sydnee Bowlin and Tiarra Delrosario (each with 11 at-bats) each have a .462 on-base percentage.
Lone Star Conference Breakdown
- This season is LCU's fifth season in the LSC.
- LCU is 74-36 all-time in LSC play.
- The Lady Chaps went 29-13 last season in conference (shared third place in the standings).
- Snapshot of last season in the LSC for LCU.
- The 29 conference wins marks the most in a single season since moving to NCAA and the most since a 29-win 2010 season.
- LCU is hit .304 in conference, with 48 home runs (allowed 16).
- The pitching staff had a 2.46 ERA in LSC play, with 277 strikeouts in 276.0 innings and held opponents to a .191 batting average.
- Tiarra Delrosario led LCU in conference hitting .370.
- Kasey Flores led LCU in home runs (15) and RBI (46) in conference play.
- Taylor Franco produced a 1.81 ERA and went 12-7 with 132 strikeouts in 147.1 innings. She averaged an allowance of 4.75 hits per seven innings in LSC play.
- Maxine Valdez went 12-4 in conference games and is held the opposition to a .184 batting average. She had 121 strikeouts in 90.1 innings (9.4 per seven innings).
Conference Openers
- LCU is 9-7 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 2-2 in LSC openers after a 1-0 loss to UT Tyler Feb. 17 last season in Lubbock.
- With Oklahoma Christian No.22 in the national rankings, this season's conference opener marks the third consecutive LSC opener facing a nationally ranked opponent.
Home Openers
- LCU is 15-1 all-time in home openers at PlainsCapital Park.
- The first loss in a home opener was last season, as LCU opened with a 2-0 loss against No.22 Washburn
- For a second consecutive season (only two times in program history), LCU is hosting a nationally ranked program in a home opener, and ironically OC carries the same national ranking as Washburn did last season.
- LCU enters this season with an all-time mark of 312-51 (86.0%) all-time in home games at Maner Park. They went 24-8 last season at home.
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 Friday with a softball record of 527-177.
- 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 1,223 total games at LCU.
National Notes
- Lubbock Christian went 0-9 last season against nationally ranked programs (went 9-10 in 2022).
- Friday marks LCU's first game this season against a nationally ranked opponent. LCU is 0-2 this season against teams receiving votes.
- LCU opened the season receiving votes in the NFCA National Top-25 Coaches Preseason Poll.
Looking at OC
- The Lady Eagles went 40-17 last season, finishing tied for third in the LSC with a 29-13 conference mark. They are 4-4 this season and have yet to play a true road game this season. They are nationally ranked No.22 in the NFCA Top-25 Poll.
- OC is hitting .243 this season (13th in LSC) and have three home runs on the season. They have a staff ERA of 3.05 and opponents are hitting .266 against them.
- OC was preseason picked to finish third in the LSC in the LSC Preseason Poll. They received three first-place votes.
- Oklahoma Christian has a fielding percentage of .983, which ranks 13th nationally.
- Grace Anderson is 11th nationally with seven pitching appearances this season. She is 3-2 with a 2.75 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 28.0 innings.
