TYLER, Texas (April 26, 2024) – For a fourth series, in a five-series stretch, Mother Nature has caused a shift to the series schedule, as Lubbock Christian University and No.4 UT Tyler are scheduled for a three-game series at UT Tyler Softball Complex. Friday's doubleheader, originally scheduled for 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., has been moved up to a noon and 2 p.m. start. The series is the final regular season series.
| LONE STAR CONFERENCE SOFTBALL |
| OPPONENT |
LOCATION |
DAY |
TIME (CT) |
WATCH |
STATS |
| No.4 UTT |
UT Tyler Softball Complex |
Fri. Apr. 26 |
12:00 p.m. |
Video |
Stats |
| No.4 UTT |
UT Tyler Softball Complex |
Fri. Apr. 26 |
2:00 p.m. |
Video |
Stats |
WEATHER
LCU and UTT Series Snapshot
- UTT holds a 7-3 all-time series advantage over the Lady Chaps, which began in 2021.
- The Patriots swept LCU last season in Lubbock (Feb. 17-18, 2023) and has won the last five meetings.
- The two teams faced each other five times during the 2022 season, with UTT winning three of the meetings. Three of the contests 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).
- Five of the 10 all-time meetings have been in Tyler. LCU is 2-3 against UTT in Tyler.
- Maxine Valdez has faced UTT in six career appearances and has held the Patriots to a .236 team batting average. She has 11 strikeouts in 15.2 career innings.
- Kamryn Gibbs is 6-for-22 (.273) in her career (nine games) verses UTT.
- Skyler Herrera is 9-for-31 (.290) in her career (10 games), which includes a home run and six RBI, against UTT.
Season Tidbits
- The Lady Chaps are 25-18 on the season. They enter the LSC series following a series hosting UT Permian Basin last weekend in which LCU outscored the Falcons 24-1.
- LCU has had three games canceled due to weather this season.
- Returning All-Region selection and three-time All-Conference selection Skylar Herrera leads LCU in home runs with 11, which has her ranking third in the LSC with a pace of 0.28 home runs per game (51st nationally). Her 11 home runs ranks tied for fourth in the LSC. Herrera ranks 11th actively in career home runs (in NCAA Division II) with 44 (third all-time in program history… needs 48 to move into second). She also ranks 15th in RBI with 175 and seventh in total bases (425).
- Maxine Valdez has a 11-5 record in the circle with a 2.16 ERA. She has 114 strikeouts in 107.0 innings. Valdez ranks fourth in the LSC with 7.5 strikeouts per seven innings. Her WHIP rate of 1.02 is third in the LSC. Valdez is 31st among active players in career strikeouts with 506 and is one of three LCU pitchers all-time to surpass 500 career strikeouts.
- LCU pitchers have a 2.79 strikeout-to-walk ratio, which is 36th nationally and leads the LSC.
- Teoni Lamb (9-4) did not allow a walk for the first 17.2 innings pitched to open the season and ranks tied for second in the LSC in shutouts (5, tied for 31st nationally). Valdez is fourth in the LSC with four shutouts.
- The Lady Chaps rank 45th nationally in WHIP (1.25), which ranks fourth in the LSC. They rank fifth in the LSC in ERA at 2.81 (58th nationally).
- LCU is hitting .310 as a team (fourth in LSC), with Tiarra Delrosario leading the team with 53 hits. Delrosario leads the team hitting .379 (10th in LSC).
- The Lady Chaps have produced 40 home runs (third in LSC and 50th in nation) and they have been hit by nine different Lady Chaps.
- Delrosario (.449), Kamryn Gibbs (.412) and Skylar Herrera (.410) each have an on-base percentage over .400.
- Reese Farrar is tied for second in the LSC and is tied for 33rd nationally with three saves.
- LCU is 20-5 in games they hit at least one home run and 5-13 in games they do not hit a home run.
- The Lady Chaps are 18-2 in games they score at least six runs.
- LCU has an 81-45 advantage against their opponents this season in two-out RBI. Herrera and Delrosario co-lead the team with 13.
- LCU has 13 sacrifice flies on the season, which is fourth in the LSC. Skylar Herrera ranks 43rd nationally with four on the season (third in LSC).
Lone Star Conference Breakdown
- This season is LCU's fifth season in the LSC.
- LCU is 98-51 all-time in LSC play.
- The Lady Chaps went 29-13 last season in conference (shared third place in the standings).
- LSC happenings this season.
- The Lady Chaps are 24-15 in LSC play this season, which has them tied for fourth in the LSC (with Oklahoma Christian and St. Mary's), as three games remain in the regular season.
- LCU is hitting .314 as a squad in LSC contests.
- Tiarra Delrosario leads LCU with a .380 average in LSC play. She has a team leading 49 hits (Hope Banales is second with 42), along with 10 doubles and 20 RBI. She has a hit in 33 of 39 LSC games played.
- The Lady Chaps have 39 home runs in LSC play from eight different individuals. Skylar Herrera has all 11 of her home runs in conference.
- LCU's pitching staff has a 2.79 ERA in LSC contests. They have held opponents to a .247 average.
- Teoni Lamb is 9-3 in LSC play, with a 2.21 ERA in 79.1 innings. Opponents are hitting .229 against her.
- Maxine Valdez (10-4) has 102 strikeouts in 97.0 innings and is holding opponents to a .188 average. She leads LCU with a 1.02 WHIP in conference.
- Reese Farrar has three saves in LSC play (3.71 ERA).
Roadies
- LCU is 9-9 in road play this season (one of six LSC teams with a .500-or-better road record this season).
- The Lady Chaps are hitting .298 on the road this season with an 88-75 scoring advantage.
- Sydney Bowlin is leading LCU on the road with a .360 batting average.
- Tiarra Delrosario and Ally Oyanguren co-lead the squad in road hits with 19 each.
- Ally Oyanguren co-leads LCU in home runs (4, with Skylar Herrera) and RBI (13, with Hope Banales) in road play.
- LCU has a team ERA of 3.86 on the road.
- Maxine Valdez (5-2) has a 2.33 ERA on the road with 37 strikeouts in 45.0 innings and holding opponents to a .157 average.
- Teoni Lamb has 32 road K's (35.1 innings) compared to 15 walks.
Streaking Along
- Riley Flores leads LCU, actively, with an four-game hit streak. Tiarra Delrosario had a 26-game hit streak earlier in the season, which is the longest by a Lady Chap this season and the most since McKenzie Clemmons had a 32-game hit streak in 2012.
- Hope Banales has reached base safely in 12 consecutive games, which actively leads LCU. Delrosario (27) and Ally Oyanguren (26) have the season-lead for LCU in the category.
- Delrosario leads LCU with 16 multi-hit games. Ally Oyanguren leads LCU with eight multi-RBI games.
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 552-192.
- 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 1,259 total games at LCU.
National Notes
- Lubbock Christian went 0-9 last season against nationally ranked programs (went 9-10 in 2022).
- This season, LCU is 3-6 against nationally ranked programs. Included in the mix is a road win over No.1 West Texas A&M on Apr. 5.
- LCU opened the season receiving votes in the NFCA National Top-25 Coaches Preseason Poll.
- The Lady Chaps made their debut at No.8 in the NCAA Division II South Central Region rankings.
Looking at UTT
- The Patriots produced an 62-6 record last season, leading the LSC with a 39-2 conference mark. They had a remarkable season, ending in the NCAA Division II Finals with a loss to North Georgia, who claimed the title. They are 43-7 this season with a 34-5 conference record (second in the LSC). They have won their last 16 games overall, including their last seven at home (18-2 at home this season).
- UT Tyler is hitting .342 this season (second in the LSC and 19th nationally) and they have 28 home runs on the season (ninth in LSC). They have a staff ERA of 1.73 (leads in LSC and ranks 11th nationally) and opponents are hitting .204 against them.
- UTT was preseason picked to win the LSC this season and received 25 of the 41 first-place votes.
- The Patriots lead the nation being beaned at the plate, as their batters have been hit 68 times. JT Smith is third nationally and leads the team being peppered 19 times this season.
- Pitcher Christin Haygood, a transfer from San Jacinto, is 12-0 this season and leads the LSC with a WHIP of 0.86, which ranks 14th nationally.
