WICHITA FALLS, Texas (March 21, 2025) – Lubbock Christian University returns to the road, where it has split its last three doubleheaders, opening a four-game trip Friday at Mustangs Park with a Lone Star Conference West Division doubleheader against Midwestern State.
| LONE STAR CONFERENCE SOFTBALL |
| OPPONENT |
LOCATION |
DAY |
TIME (CT) |
VIDEO |
RADIO |
STATS |
| Midwestern St. |
Mustangs Park |
Fri., Mar. 21 |
2 p.m. |
Watch |
None |
Stats |
| Midwestern St. |
Mustangs Park |
Fri., Mar. 21 |
4 p.m. |
Watch |
None |
Stats |
| Weather |
|
|
|
|
|
|
LCU and MSU Series Snapshot
- Lubbock Christian has an 11-4 lead in the all-time series.
- The Lady Chaps have won the last 10 meetings, with Midwestern State's last victory coming on Feb. 3, 2019, in Lubbock.
- LCU swept the Mustangs in a three-game series last season in Lubbock, outscoring them 19-4.
- The Lady Chaps are 6-2 all-time against MSU at home and 5-0 in Wichita Falls.
- LCU holds a 10-0 record against Midwestern State in Lone Star Conference matchups.
- LCU has outscored Midwestern State 99-55 across the 15 meetings, averaging 6.6 runs per game.
- Of the 15 meetings, only five have resulted in run-rule decisions and only one has resulted in a one-run decision.
Season Tidbits
- Lubbock Christian has had a solid season, sitting at 20-10 overall and 11-9 in Lone Star Conference play (tied for sixth in the LSC standings). The Lady Chaps have been dominant at home (13-4) but are under-500 on the road (3-5). They've shown resilience, bouncing back from tough losses with key wins, including sweeps over Texas A&M International and Eastern New Mexico. Currently third in the LSC West Division, LCU looks to build momentum as they head into a crucial road stretch.
- Lubbock Christian continues to showcase a strong offense, ranking 63rd nationally and sixth in the Lone Star Conference with a .316 team batting average. The Lady Chaps have outscored opponents 192-121 through their first 30 games.
- Baylea Myers remains a key offensive force, batting .424 (10th in the LSC) with 39 hits (8th in the LSC), 25 RBIs (11th in the LSC), and a .663 slugging percentage (13th in the LSC). She also is tied for third in the LSC in sacrifice flies (3) and holds a .494 on-base percentage.
- The Lady Chaps' power has been on display, ranking 33rd nationally and sixth in the conference with 21 home runs. Kendra Levesque and Myers lead the team with four home runs each (10th in LSC). Nine different Lady Chaps have hit at least one home run this season.
- LCU ranks 13th nationally and third in the conference with 177 RBIs, also ranking 24th nationally in RBIs per game (5.90).
- The Lady Chaps' aggressive baserunning has been a factor, stealing 35 bases in 40 attempts, ranking third in the LSC. Kadin Vire (10-for-10) and Ili (8-for-8) continue to lead the way.
- Pitching remains steady with a team ERA of 3.65, ranking seventh in the conference. Kendall Ward has been a key contributor with a 5-0 record, a 1.56 ERA in 18 innings, and five saves (leads the LSC and tied for first nationally).
- Emily Dix leads the pitching staff in strikeouts with 50 in 50 innings, averaging 6.7 strikeouts per seven innings (13th in the conference). She also ranks in the top 10 in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.00).
- The Lady Chaps' defense has been solid, ranking third in the conference and 46th nationally with a .968 fielding percentage. They have also turned eight double plays, ranking sixth in the LSC.
- LCU leads the conference and ranks third nationally in sacrifice flies with 16. Riley Flores lead the team with four.
- The Lady Chaps continue to be one of the top-scoring teams in the nation, ranking 14th in total runs (192) and 25th in scoring average (6.40 runs per game).
- LCU ranks 24th nationally and third in the LSC with 51 doubles, averaging 1.70 per game.
- Their ability to draw walks has been crucial, ranking 17th nationally and third in the LSC with 108 walks on the season.
- Teoni Lamb and Emily Dix have been key contributors in the circle, ranking in the top 20 in the conference for innings pitched, with Lamb recording three complete games.
- Ward remains one of the most effective relief pitchers in the nation, leading the LSC with five saves (tied for first nationally) and limiting opponents effectively in key situations.
- The Lady Chaps rank fifth in the LSC in shutouts (5), showing their ability to dominate games defensively.
Deeper Dive
- LCU continues to dominate early innings, outscoring opponents 41-14 in the first and 34-13 in the third. Their record when scoring first is now 14-3, reinforcing the importance of fast starts (6-1 when scoring in the first inning).
- Kawehi Ili remains clutch, hitting .423 (11-for-26) with runners in scoring position and .875 (7-for-8) when driving in a runner from third with fewer than two outs. She also advances runners at a 59.5% success rate (25-for-42).
- Kristen Boyd (.412),Kendra Levesque (.382) and Baylea Myers (.407) are consistent offensive threats, as the trio of players are each hitting over .380 with runners in scoring position while also excelling at advancing runners.
- Yaya Kaaialii leads the team in overall batting efficiency, hitting .423 (11-for-26) with runners in scoring position. Boyd leads the category with 12 hits in the scenario.
- LCU is nearly unbeatable when leading after four innings, holding a 15-2 record, and remains perfect at 8-0 when leading after six innings They also have three wins this season when trailing after six innings
- LCU thrives in high-scoring games, going 11-2 when scoring 5+ runs, including 9-0 when reaching double digits. Conversely, they struggle when held to two or fewer runs (1-7).
- Kristen Boyd (3-for-6) and Kadin Vire (3-for-8) co-lead LCU with three hits with the bases loaded.
- Power production remains a key factor—LCU is 3-0 when hitting multiple home runs and 16-2 when the opponent fails to hit a homer.
- LCU has out-hit opponents in 15 games and won all 15. When out-hit by opponents, they are just 3-7.
- The team capitalizes on opponents' mistakes, holding a 9-1 record when the opposition commits multiple errors.
- Pitching and defense have been key in wins—LCU is 11-0 when holding opponents under three runs, but just 3-6 when allowing 6-9 runs
- LCU remains perfect in extra-inning games (2-0) and they have faired well in shutouts (5-1), demonstrating their ability to close out tight contests.
Lone Star Conference Breakdown
- This season is LCU's sixth season in the LSC.
- LCU is 106-61 all-time in LSC play.
- The Lady Chaps went 24-18 last season in conference (sixth place in the standings).
- Snapshot of last season in the LSC for LCU.
- LCU is hit .308 in conference, with 40 home runs (allowed 28).
- The pitching staff had a 2.81 ERA in LSC play, with 211 strikeouts in 269.1 innings and held opponents to a .246 batting average.
- LCU is now 11-9 in Lone Star Conference play. The Lady Chaps are hitting .280 as a team in conference games, with a .451 slugging percentage and 17 home runs.
- Yaya Kaaialii leads the team in OPS (1.144) while hitting .392 with five doubles and two home runs. She also leads the team in on-base percentage (.536) and runs scored (20).
- Baylea Myers has been one of the most consistent hitters, batting .390 with a 1.076 OPS. She leads the team in hits (23), doubles (6), and total bases (37) while driving in 12 RBIs.
- Kendra Levesque continues to provide power, leading the team with four home runs and 17 RBIs, while hitting .377 with a 1.121 OPS.
- Kristen Boyd remains a top extra-base hitter, tallying seven doubles and two home runs while driving in 16 RBIs with a .971 OPS.
- Piper Garcia has provided a spark, hitting .269 with two home runs and seven RBIs in 15 games played.
- LCU's pitching staff holds a 4.08 ERA in conference play, with opponents hitting .274 against them.
- Natalee Gray (3.44 ERA, .256 BAA) has been one of the most effective pitchers, allowing just 10 earned runs in 20.1 innings.
- Teoni Lamb (3.82 ERA, 41 K in 40.1 IP) has been the team's workhorse, tossing three complete games and recording a team-high 41 strikeouts.
- Emily Dix has been another key arm, leading the team in wins (4-3 record) while striking out 27 in 36.2 innings.
On the Road Again
- LCU is 3-5 in road games this season.
- Baylea Myers leads the team with a .833 slugging percentage, hitting 4 doubles, 1 triple, and 1 home run. Myers boasts a .458 batting average, with 11 hits in 24 at-bats, making her a key offensive force.
- Kendra Levesque leads the team with 6 RBIs, showing her ability to drive in runs when it counts.
- The team has drawn 20 walks and 7 hit-by-pitches, contributing to a .323 on-base percentage.
- The team has successfully stolen 5 bases on 6 attempts, with Kadin Vire and Kawehi Ili both going a perfect 2-for-2.
- The team has turned 4 double plays on the road, matching opponents.
- LCU pitchers hold opponents to a .255 batting average, with 26 strikeouts over 50 innings.
- Natalee Gray has been outstanding with a 0.72 ERA, allowing only 1 earned run in 9.2 innings while holding batters to a .194 average.
- Kendall Ward has been a solid relief option with a 3.32 ERA and 3 saves, proving reliable in closing situations.
Streaking Along
- Baylea Myers' nine-game hitting streak remains the longest by a Lady Chap this season. Kristen Boyd now holds the longest active streak at six games.
- Yaya Kaaialii has reached base safely in 20 consecutive games, the longest streak by a Lady Chap this season. Kristen Boyd (9), Kendra Levesque (11), and Baylea Myers (9) follow behind. Boyd now has the longest active on-base streak at nine games.
- Myers leads LCU with 13 multi-hit games, while Kaaialii (11), Levesque (10), Vire (9), and Boyd (8) remain key contributors.
- Myers also leads the team with seven multi-RBI games, followed closely by Boyd (6) and Levesque (6), while Kawehi Ili (5) and Kadin Vire (5) continue to deliver in clutch moments.
Coach Talk
- LCU head coach Daren Hays is in his 15th season at the helm of the Lady Chaps.
- Hays is LCU's winningest softball head coach, entering Friday with a softball record of 572-206.
- Along with surpassing 550 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 1,249 total games at LCU.
Looking at MSU
- Midwestern State (9-20, 6-14) returns home after an eight-game road trip, holding a 5-7 record at Mustangs Park as they prepare for a crucial series against Lubbock Christian. Both teams are tied for third in the West Division standings with a 3-1 record in the division.
- Sydney Linn has been a key offensive player, ranking 11th in the Lone Star Conference with a .413 batting average, contributing four doubles, a triple, and two home runs.
- Shortstop Camile Nunez is on a six-game hitting streak, batting .400 during that span while raising her season average to .344.
- Megan Ayala provided a major spark last week, hitting .455 with two home runs and eight RBIs, including a career-high five-RBI performance against Sul Ross State.
- Pitchers Addison Lindemann and Kayleigh Bowers shined last week, combining for 26 innings while allowing just two earned runs, as Lindemann held opponents to a .140 batting average and Bowers posted a 1.17 ERA.
