CANYON, Texas (March 23, 2025) – After being swept Friday at Midwestern State, Lubbock Christian University aims to salvage its road trip at Schaeffer Park. However, the challenge is steep, as the Lady Chaps face No. 3 West Texas A&M in a Lone Star Conference West Division doubleheader, part of the "Rivalry on the Range" series. First pitch is at 1 p.m.
| LONE STAR CONFERENCE SOFTBALL |
| OPPONENT |
LOCATION |
DAY |
TIME (CT) |
VIDEO |
RADIO |
STATS |
| West Texas A&M |
Schaeffer Park |
Sun., Mar. 23 |
1 p.m. |
Watch |
None |
Stats |
| West Texas A&M |
Schaeffer Park |
Sun., Mar. 23 |
3 p.m. |
Watch |
None |
Stats |
| Weather |
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LCU and WT Series Snapshot
- West Texas A&M leads the all-time series 22-11.
- Lubbock Christian's last win came on April 5, 2024 (last season), an 8-7 victory in Canyon.
- The Lady Chaps' longest winning streak in the series is five games (2008-2011), while West Texas A&M's longest is six (2019-2022).
- LCU is 7-11 at home against the Lady Buffs and 4-11 in Canyon.
- The Lady Chaps hold a 2-8 record against WT in Lone Star Conference matchups.
- LCU's largest margin of victory was an 11-0 win in the first-ever meeting on March 11, 2008.
- The teams have combined for 158 total runs across 33 meetings, with LCU averaging 4.79 runs per game.
- The last 10 matchups have heavily favored West Texas A&M, with LCU going 2-8 in that span.
- The Lady Chaps look to snap a two-game losing streak in the head-to-head series against the No. 3-ranked Lady Buffs.
Season Tidbits
- Lubbock Christian has had a solid season, sitting at 20-12 overall and 11-11 in Lone Star Conference play (tied for eighth in the LSC standings). The Lady Chaps have been dominant at home (13-4) but are under-500 on the road (3-7). They've shown resilience, bouncing back from tough losses with key wins, including sweeps over Texas A&M International and Eastern New Mexico. Currently tied for fourth in the LSC West Division, LCU looks to build momentum as they head amidst a crucial road stretch.
- Lubbock Christian continues to showcase a strong offense, ranking 64th 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 32 games.
- Baylea Myers remains a key offensive force, batting .424 (9th in the LSC) with 39 hits (8th in the LSC), 25 RBI, and a .663 slugging percentage. She also ranks third in the LSC in sacrifice flies (3) and holds a .494 on-base percentage.
- The Lady Chaps' power has been on display, ranking 36th nationally and sixth in the conference with 21 home runs. Kendra Levesque and Myers lead the team with four home runs each (24th 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 RBI, also ranking 25th nationally in RBI per game (5.90).
- The Lady Chaps' aggressive baserunning has been a factor, stealing 35 bases in 40 attempts, ranking fourth 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).
- Teoni Lamb (57 in 56.1 innings) and Emily Dix (53 in 54.2 innings) leads the pitching staff in strikeouts with Lamb averaging 7.1 strikeouts per seven innings (11th in the LSC) and Dix averaging 6.7 strikeouts per seven innings (13th in the conference). Lamb (3.06, 10th) and Dix (3.0, 11th) are also side-by-side in strikeout-to-walk ratio.
- The Lady Chaps' defense has been solid, ranking third in the conference and 45th 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 leads the team and co-leads the LSC with four.
- The Lady Chaps continue to be one of the top-scoring teams in the nation, ranking 15th 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 20th 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 thrive in the early innings, outscoring opponents 41-16 in the first and 36-18 in the third. Their record when scoring first is now 14-4, reinforcing the importance of fast starts (13-2 when scoring in the first inning).
- Kawehi Ili remains a key clutch hitter, batting .414 (12-for-29) 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 58.7% success rate (27-for-46).
- Kristen Boyd (.417), Kendra Levesque (.351), and Baylea Myers (.414) continue to be consistent offensive threats, all hitting above .350 with runners in scoring position and excelling at advancing runners.
- Yaya Kaaialii leads the team in overall batting efficiency, hitting .417 (35-for-84) with runners in scoring position. Boyd leads in hits in these situations with 15.
- 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 16-2 when scoring 5+ runs, including 9-0 when reaching double digits. Conversely, they struggle when held to two or fewer runs (1-8)
- Kristen Boyd (3-for-6) and Kadin Vire (3-for-9) 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 16-3 when the opponent fails to hit a homer.
- LCU has out-hit opponents in 15 games and won is 14-1 in those games When out-hit by opponents, they are just 3-11.
- The team capitalizes on opponents' mistakes, holding a 10-2 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 3-8 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 106-63 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 11-11 in Lone Star Conference play. The Lady Chaps are hitting .284 as a team in conference games, with a .456 slugging percentage and 18 home runs.
- Yaya Kaaialii leads the team in OPS (1.112) while hitting .390 with six doubles and two home runs. She also leads the team in on-base percentage (.519) and runs scored (20).
- Baylea Myers has been one of the most consistent hitters, batting .388 with a 1.054 OPS. She leads the team in hits (26), doubles (7), and total bases (41) while driving in 13 RBI.
- Kendra Levesque continues to provide power, leading the team with four home runs and 18 RBI while hitting .353 with a 1.061 OPS.
- Kristen Boyd remains a top extra-base hitter, tallying eight doubles and two home runs while driving in 17 RBI with a .982 OPS.
- Piper Garcia has provided a spark, hitting .269 with two home runs and seven RBI in 15 games played.
- LCU's pitching staff holds a 4.48 ERA in conference play, with opponents hitting .288 against them.
- Natalee Gray (3.85 ERA, .278 BAA) has been one of the most effective pitchers, allowing 13 earned runs in 23.2 innings.
- Teoni Lamb (4.59 ERA, 43 K in 42.2 IP) has been the team's workhorse, tossing three complete games and recording a team-high 43 strikeouts.
- Emily Dix has been another key arm, leading the team in wins (4-4 record) while striking out 32 in 41.1 innings.
- Reese Farrar has been dominant in limited action, posting a 1.17 ERA and .182 batting average against in six innings (four appearances).
On the Road Again
- LCU is 3-7 in road games this season.
- Baylea Myers leads the team with a .438 batting average (14-for-32), collecting 5 doubles, a triple, and a home run for a .750 slugging percentage. She has also driven in 7 RBI.
- Kadin Vire is hitting .364 (12-for-33) and leads the team with 3 stolen bases on 3 attempts.
- Ashlinn Hamilton boasts an impressive .444 batting average (8-for-18) with 4 doubles and a home run, leading the team with a .833 slugging percentage.
- Kendra Levesque has recorded 7 RBI while hitting .258 with 3 doubles and a home run.
- Yaya Kaaialii is getting on base at a .394 clip, drawing 4 walks and getting hit by a pitch once.
- Natalee Gray has been LCU's most effective starter, holding a 2-1 record with a 2.15 ERA over 13.0 innings, allowing just 4 earned runs while limiting opponents to a .255 batting average.
- Kendall Ward has been effective in relief, posting a 3.15 ERA and earning 3 saves while holding hitters to a .250 average.
- Ashlinn Hamilton & Reese Farrar have combined for 5.0 shutout innings, allowing just 3 hits.
- The Chaps' defense has been solid with a .968 fielding percentage, matching their opponents.
- Kendra Levesque (69 putouts, 1.000 fielding %) and Kristen Boyd (30 putouts, 1.000 fielding %) have anchored the defense.
- LCU has collected 18 doubles, 1 triple, and 3 home runs in 10 road games.
- The team has drawn 29 walks, showing patience at the plate.
- Despite a 3-7 road record, LCU has been competitive, as they've only been outhit by 3 total hits (67 to 70).
Streaking Along
- Baylea Myers' nine-game hitting streak remains the longest by a Lady Chap this season. No active hitting streak exceeds five games (Yaya Kaaialii has an active five-game hit streak).
- Yaya Kaaialii has reached base safely in 20 consecutive games, the longest streak by an LCU player this season. Kristen Boyd now holds the longest active on-base streak at 11 games.
- Myers leads LCU with 14 multi-hit games, while Kaaialii (12), Vire (10), Levesque (10), and Boyd (8) continue to be 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) remain clutch performers.
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 Sunday with a softball record of 572-208.
- 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 1,251 total games at LCU.
Looking at WT
- No. 3 West Texas A&M (30-2, 20-2 LSC) enters its series against Lubbock Christian riding a 10-game winning streak. The Lady Buffs have been dominant, boasting an undefeated road record (12-0) and a conference-best .938 winning percentage. Their only losses came in a split with No. 2 UT Tyler and Texas Woman's. WT leads the LSC West Division and ranks among the nation's elite, combining power and pitching to outscore opponents 265-65.
- West Texas A&M boasts one of the most dominant offenses in the nation, ranking first in total hits (323), slugging percentage (.657), and scoring (9.23 runs per game) while also sitting second nationally in home runs (43) and batting average (.381). Their 7.90 RBI per game also leads the nation.
- The Lady Buffs lead the Lone Star Conference in extra-base hits, sitting atop the league in doubles (61), home runs (43), and triples (22) while also ranking top five nationally in each category. Their 2.03 doubles per game places them 11th in the country, adding another layer to their explosive offensive production.
- Pitching has been another strength, as WT ranks ninth nationally and second in the LSC with a 1.69 ERA. The staff also sits top 10 in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.40) and strikeouts per seven innings (7.63), with Heidi Vortherms leading the LSC in strikeout-to-walk ratio at 7.89.
- Individually, Emilee Boyer has been one of the nation's top players, ranking first in the country in home runs (12), RBI (48), and victories as a pitcher (14). She also sits second in slugging percentage (1.071) and total bases (90), making her one of the most complete two-way players in Division II.
