LUBBOCK, Texas (April 25, 2025) – Lubbock Christian University wraps up the regular season with its final four games at home, all within Lone Star Conference West Division play. The Lady Chaps will host a pair of doubleheaders, beginning Friday at 2 and 4 p.m. against No. 1 West Texas A&M in a Rivalry on the Range showdown at Maner Park. LCU carries an eight-game win streak, while WTAMU comes to Lubbock winners of their last 28 contests.
| LONE STAR CONFERENCE SOFTBALL |
| OPPONENT |
LOCATION |
DAY |
TIME (CT) |
VIDEO |
RADIO |
STATS |
| West Texas A&M |
Maner Park |
Fri., Apr. 25 |
2 p.m. |
Watch |
None |
Stats |
| West Texas A&M |
Maner Park |
Fri., Apr. 25 |
4 p.m. |
Watch |
None |
Stats |
| Weather |
|
|
|
|
|
|
LCU and WTAMU Series Snapshot
- Lubbock Christian and West Texas A&M have met 35 times since their first matchup on March 11, 2008, with WTAMU holding a 24–11 advantage in the all-time series.
- The Lady Chaps won the inaugural meeting in dominant fashion, 11–0, but have gone just 2–8 over the last 10 meetings and are currently on a four-game losing streak to the Lady Buffs.
- LCU is 7–11 against WTAMU at home and 4–13 in Canyon.
- Since joining the Lone Star Conference, LCU is 2–10 against WTAMU in league play, with their only LSC wins coming in 2022 and 2024.
- The longest win streak for LCU in the series is five games (2008–2011), while WTAMU's longest stretch of dominance was six straight wins from 2019 to 2022.
- WTAMU has taken six of the last seven meetings, including a two-game sweep in Canyon earlier this season on March 23, winning by scores of 2–0 and 4–2.
- The series has featured a number of tight contests, including four one-run games since 2022 and two walk-offs.
- Here are some notes on this season's series between the two teams:
- LCU dropped both road contests in Canyon, scoring just two total runs and batting .146 as a team compared to WTAMU's .244 average.
- Riley Flores led LCU offensively with a .500 average (2-for-4), including a double and an RBI, while slugging .750 and reaching base at a .600 clip.
- Ashlinn Hamilton collected a pair of hits across six at-bats, batting .333, while Kristen Boyd and Kawehi Ili each chipped in with a hit and a run scored.
- LCU managed just seven hits in 48 at-bats and struck out 12 times in the series, unable to capitalize despite drawing six walks.
- Teoni Lamb delivered a strong outing in Game 1, allowing just two earned runs over 6.0 innings while scattering five hits and striking out one.
- Defensively, the Lady Chaps committed just one error and turned in a .980 fielding percentage over the two games.
- WTAMU pitching kept LCU in check with a 1.00 ERA across 14.0 innings and 12 strikeouts, allowing just two extra-base hits and holding LCU to a .146 average.
Season Tidbits
- Lubbock Christian is 32-18 overall and sits third in the Lone Star Conference West Division at 15-9, with a 22-17 record in league play. The Lady Chaps have been dominant at home (18-5) and own eight straight wins entering Friday's home series. LCU has notched wins over top-tier teams like Angelo State and Oklahoma Christian and has scored double-digit runs in 12 games this season. LCU is fifth in the LSC and can clinch the No.5-seed at the LSC Championships with a win or a Cameron loss in their final four games. LCU was No.8 in the South Central Region rankings.
- Kendra Levesque was named NFCA Division II National Player of the Week after a scorching stretch, going 13-for-15 (.867) with 4 homers, 10 RBI, and a 1.800 slugging percentage over four road wins. She reached base in 17 straight plate appearances and had hits in 10 consecutive official at-bats—tied for 16th in NCAA DII history. Levesque is the fourth Lady Chap to earn the national honor, and currently leads the nation in doubles while She is also top 50 nationally in slugging percentage (.756, 6th LSC), RBI (47, 5th LSC), total bases (118, 5th LSC), and home runs (11, 6th LSC). Levesque enters the week ninth in the LSC in hits (62), 12th in batting average (.397), and ranks among the league's top 10 in both on-base percentage (.469) and RBI per game (0.94).
- Baylea Myers remains a steady force in LCU's offensive attack, ranking eighth in the Lone Star Conference with 63 hits and 74th nationally in total bases with 101 (11th LSC). She sits 14th in the league with 42 RBI and is tied for fourth in the conference with four sacrifice flies. Myers also ranks top-15 in the LSC in both total assists (89, 11th) and assists per game (1.78, 14th), while slugging .645, which would rank among the conference's top 20.
- The Lady Chaps have flexed their power throughout the season, sitting seventh in the LSC and 31st nationally with 42 home runs. Kendra Levesque leads the way with 11 (6th LSC, 53rd nationally), followed by Myers (8) and Ashlinn Hamilton (7). Nine different players have homered for LCU this season, showcasing the lineup's depth and versatility.
- LCU's offense continues to roll, ranking third in the LSC and 12th nationally with 296 RBI, averaging 5.92 per game (3rd LSC, 19th nationally). The Chaps have totaled 317 runs (4th LSC, 20th nationally) and are scoring 6.34 runs per game (4th LSC, 30th nationally). Their .408 on-base percentage ranks fourth in the LSC and 26th nationally, boosted by 177 walks, good for third in the conference and seventh in the nation.
- Doubles have been a major weapon for LCU, who lead the LSC and rank second nationally with 102 two-baggers. Their average of 2.04 doubles per game leads the league and is fourth in the nation. Kendra Levesque leads all of NCAA Division II with 21 doubles, while Kristen Boyd ranks third in the LSC and ninth nationally with 18.
- On the bases, LCU has been efficient, going 49-for-54 in stolen base attempts. That total ranks sixth in the LSC and 128th nationally, while their 0.98 steals per game stands seventh in the conference. Kadin Vire remains perfect at 14-for-14 and is eighth in the LSC in total steals, while Kawehi Ili is 10-for-11.
- The Lady Chaps' pitching staff holds a 3.55 ERA, ranking fifth in the LSC and 103rd nationally. Kendall Ward has been outstanding in relief, leading the LSC and ranking eighth nationally with five saves. Teoni Lamb has logged 107.2 innings (17th LSC), thrown eight complete games (17th), and ranks 11th in both total strikeouts (104) and strikeouts per seven innings (6.8). She also sits 10th in the LSC in strikeout-to-walk ratio at 2.89.
- LCU continues to produce in situational hitting, tied for third in the LSC and 17th nationally with 20 sacrifice flies. Myers and Riley Flores are tied for fourth in the conference with four apiece.
- Defensively, LCU has turned 15 double plays, which ranks fifth in the LSC and 70th nationally, averaging 0.30 per game (5th LSC, 96th nationally). Their .968 fielding percentage is fifth in the conference and 46th in the nation. Riley Flores leads the team with 85 assists (14th LSC), while her 1.85 assists per game also ranks 11th. Baylea Myers adds 89 assists (11th LSC), giving LCU two of the top 15 in that category.
Deeper Dive
- LCU continues to strike early and surge late, outscoring opponents 61–21 in the first inning and 58–22 in the sixth. The Lady Chaps are 23–8 when scoring first, including an 18–4 mark when scoring in the opening frame.
- Kawehi Ili remains a key producer in pressure moments, hitting .385 (20-for-52) with runners in scoring position and holds a .714 (10-for-14) success rate scoring a runner from third with fewer than two outs. She advances runners at a team-best 54.3% clip (44-for-81).
• Kristen Boyd leads the team with 15 two-out RBI and is batting .418 (23-for-55) with runners in scoring position. She's successful in 53.9% of her advancement opportunities (48-for-89). She also leads the team with five hits with the bases loaded.
• Kendra Levesque (.388), Baylea Myers (.400), and Yaya Kaaialii (.361) continue to be consistent with runners in scoring position. Levesque is an elite .500 (3-for-6) with the bases loaded and is advancing runners at a 59.8% rate (61-for-102).
• LCU is 23–1 when scoring six or more runs and remains perfect at 12–0 when reaching double digits. Conversely, the Lady Chaps are just 1–12 when held to two runs or fewer.
• The Lady Chaps are 24–2 when out-hitting their opponent, but only 4–16 when being out-hit.
• LCU boasts an 18–1 record when allowing two runs or fewer, compared to 5–10 when surrendering six or more.
• The team is 15–1 when leading after six innings and remains unbeaten (3–0) in extra-inning contests. They've also earned three comeback wins when trailing after six.
• LCU is 7–1 when hitting multiple home runs and 24–6 when holding opponents without a long ball.
• Boyd (.571, 4-for-7), Vire (.333, 3-for-10), and Levesque (.500, 3-for-6) are LCU's top producers in bases-loaded situations.
• The Lady Chaps are 13–3 when opponents commit multiple errors and 7–2 in shutouts.
• LCU has dominated in lopsided games, posting a 17–2 record in contests decided by five or more runs.
Lone Star Conference Breakdown
- This season is LCU's sixth season in the LSC.
- LCU is 118-69 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 enters the weekend with a 23–17 record in Lone Star Conference play. The Lady Chaps are batting .306 as a team in league action with 38 home runs, 85 doubles, and a .396 on-base percentage.
- Kendra Levesque continues to pace the LCU offense and ranks among the league's top hitters, leading the team in batting average (.415), OPS (1.310), RBI (40), and total bases (100). She has collected 11 home runs and 16 doubles while slugging .813 with a .497 on-base percentage across 40 starts in conference play.
- Baylea Myers remains one of the most consistent performers in the lineup, slashing .370/.424/.606 in conference play. She is second on the team in hits (47), total bases (77), and runs scored (34), while adding 10 doubles, a triple, six home runs, and 29 RBI.
- Yaya Kaaialii has been a strong presence at the top of the order, hitting .364 with a team-best .488 OBP in 24 starts. She has scored 20 runs and tallied 24 hits, including six doubles and two homers, while driving in 11.
- Kristen Boyd has provided balance and production in the middle of the order, batting .347 with 41 hits, 30 RBI, and 25 runs. She is tied for the team lead with 16 doubles (in conference) and has a 1.041 OPS through 40 conference games.
- Ashlinn Hamilton offers another power bat in the lineup, slashing .326/.414/.663 with seven home runs and 25 RBI in just 28 starts. She's totaled 28 hits, including eight doubles, while compiling 57 total bases and a 1.077 OPS.
- Kadin Vire continues to set the tone offensively, batting .314 with 43 hits, 16 RBI, and 62 total bases. She is a perfect 9-for-9 in stolen base attempts and owns a .367 OBP with 26 runs scored.
- Piper Garcia has delivered key contributions in the lower half of the lineup, slashing .297/.423/.500 with 19 hits, 15 RBI, and three home runs. She's added five stolen bases in five attempts over 27 starts.
- Kawehi Ili remains a mainstay in the lineup with starts in 39 of 40 conference games, hitting .267 with a .377 OBP. She's recorded 31 hits, including eight doubles and two home runs, while driving in 18 runs and stealing four bases.
- Riley Flores has continued to find ways to get on base, reaching at a .388 clip despite a .228 average. She leads the team with 24 walks and has added six doubles and 15 RBI over 36 starts.
- The LCU pitching staff owns a 3.75 ERA in conference play, holding opponents to a .272 batting average while striking out 192 across 256.0 innings. The staff has recorded 11 complete games and five saves in 40 contests.
- Kendall Ward has been a steady presence out of the bullpen, leading the team with four saves while compiling a 3–1 record and 2.96 ERA. She's issued just two walks and struck out 15 over 28.1 innings, limiting hitters to a .261 average.
- Teoni Lamb has logged a team-high 94.0 innings in conference action and is 7–7 with a 3.43 ERA. She leads the team with 90 strikeouts and has tossed nine complete games across 20 appearances, including 18 starts.
Home Sweet Home
- LCU is 345-62 (84.8%) all-time in home games at Maner Park.
- Last season, LCU was 15-6 at home (24-8 in 2023). Last season marked the first time in program history that LCU did not host a non-conference game
- This season, LCU is 18-5 at home.
- LCU has outscored opponents 176–74 at home, averaging 7.65 runs per game with a run differential of +4.43.
- Yaya Kaaialii continues to pace the LCU offense at Maner Park, batting .489 with 22 hits, 7 doubles, 2 home runs, and 14 RBI across 17 home starts. She leads the team in on-base percentage (.593) and is second in slugging (.778).
- Kendra Levesque remains a standout, hitting a team-best .448 with 30 hits, 10 doubles, a triple, 5 home runs, and 20 RBI. She leads the squad in slugging at .851 and owns a .526 OBP.
- Kristen Boyd has driven in a team-high 25 RBI at home while batting .406 with 26 hits and 9 doubles. She holds a .487 on-base percentage.
- Baylea Myers is hitting .418 at home with 28 hits, 5 doubles, 4 home runs, and 20 RBI. She's slugging .672 and has scored a team-best 23 runs.
- Kadin Vire remains an all-around contributor, hitting .370 with 27 hits, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs, 13 RBI, and a perfect 7-for-7 on stolen base attempts. She has yet to commit an error defensively (1.000 FLD%).
- Kawehi Ili (.283 AVG, 17 H, 3 HR, 16 RBI) and Riley Flores (.268 AVG, 11 H, 3 XBH, 11 RBI) have combined for 27 RBI and five extra-base hits.
- Piper Garcia (.406 AVG, 13 H, 2 HR, 14 RBI) continues to deliver timely offense in rotational roles.
- LCU is hitting .363 as a team at home with 164 RBI, 43 doubles, and 23 stolen bases in 25 attempts.
- Teoni Lamb anchors the pitching staff at Maner Park with a 2.40 ERA, a 5–3 record, and 54 strikeouts in a team-high 46.2 innings. Opponents are hitting just .225 against her.
- Natalee Gray provides reliable support with a 3.00 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 25.2 innings, holding opposing hitters to a .250 average.
- Kendall Ward (2.47 ERA), Ashlinn Hamilton (3.15 ERA), and Reese Farrar (5.09 ERA) continue to contribute valuable innings in relief and spot starts.
- The LCU pitching staff owns a 2.94 ERA at home with 143 strikeouts in 143.0 innings and a collective .248 opponent batting average.
Streaking Along
- Kendra Levesque holds LCU's longest active hitting streak at 10 games, matching the team-best mark this season. Kawehi Ili is close behind with a 9-game hitting streak.
- Riley Flores has reached safely in 17 consecutive games, the longest active on-base streak on the team. Yaya Kaaialii still owns the season-high with a 20-game reached-base streak.
- Baylea Myers continues to lead the Lady Chaps with 21 multi-hit games. Levesque has surged to 18, followed by Kadin Vire with 16, Kristen Boyd at 15, and Kawehi Ili at 14.
- Myers also tops the team with 13 multi-RBI efforts. Levesque has climbed to 12, while Boyd is third with 11. Kawehi Ili has eight, Ashlinn Hamilton and Kadin Vire each have six, and Bailey Hughes and Riley Flores round out the group with six and five, respectively.
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 584-214.
- Along with surpassing 575 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 1,269 total games at LCU.
Looking at WTAMU
- West Texas A&M enters the weekend as the nation's top-ranked team, riding a 48-2 overall record and a 38-2 mark in Lone Star Conference play. The Lady Buffs clinched the LSC West Division title after shutting out Sul Ross State in a pair of dominant wins, posting a 12-0 run-rule decision in game one and a 5-0 shutout in game two to complete their regular season home slate.
- The Lady Buffs boast the most potent offense in NCAA Division II, leading the nation in batting average (.386), hits (535), home runs (84), RBIs (416), total runs (474), slugging percentage (.682), and on-base percentage (.458). WT also ranks in the top 10 nationally for doubles (6th), triples (2nd), and walks (3rd), while scoring at a staggering clip of 9.48 runs per game.
- Junior Emilee Boyer anchors the WT lineup and ranks among the nation's elite in nearly every offensive category. Her .504 batting average is second in Division II, and she leads the country in both RBIs (83) and slugging percentage (1.038). Boyer also ranks second nationally with 19 home runs and paces the team in strikeouts (197) and innings pitched (143.2).
- Lauren Granger provides another powerful threat in the Lady Buffs' deep lineup, leading the nation with 149 total bases while ranking 10th in hits (74) and eighth in triples (7). She's one of 14 WT players hitting above .300 this season, making the lineup among the deepest and most dangerous in the country.
- The Lady Buffs' pitching staff complements their high-powered offense with a team ERA of 1.81, ranking seventh nationally. All four pitchers have recorded double-digit strikeouts, led by Boyer's 197 and Heidi Vortherms' 110. WT ranks third in the country with 7.94 strikeouts per seven innings and is ninth in WHIP at 1.04.
