MANSFIELD, Texas (January 30, 2025) – Lubbock Christian University opens the 2026 softball season Friday with a pair of games at the Lone Star Classic in Mansfield, Texas, facing No.9 Augustana (S.D.) at 10 a.m. before squaring off with Minnesota Duluth at 12:15 p.m. at the Fields at Station 63. The doubleheader launches LCU's 19th season as a program and comes just days after winter weather disruptions across Texas forced schedule adjustments to the weekend—setting the stage for a chilly, early-season test against two first-time opponents from colder climates who should feel right at home in the brisk conditions.
| LONE STAR CLASSIC |
| OPPONENT |
LOCATION |
DAY |
TIME (CT) |
VIDEO |
STATS |
WEATHER |
| No.9 Augustana |
Fields at Station 63 (Field 5) |
Fri., Jan. 30 |
10 a.m. |
Watch ($) |
Stats |
Forecast |
| Minnesota Duluth |
Fields at Station 63 (Field 6) |
Fri., Jan. 30 |
12:25 p.m. |
Watch ($) |
Stats |
Forecast |
LCU and AUGIE Series Snapshot
- LCU and Sioux Falls, S.D. based Augustana have never met.
- The Lady Chaps are 4-0 all-time against South Dakota based programs, with AU marking their fourth different SoDak based program they will have faced.
- LCU is 2-0 all-time against Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) based program, but the prior two meetings were against Minot State.
LCU and UMD Series Snapshot
- The two programs have never met.
- LCU has never faced a Minnesota based program.
Season Expectations
- The Lady Chaps are preseason picked to finish fifth in the Lone Star Conference for a second consecutive season.
- LCU is in their 11th season playing a NCAA Division II schedule (2013 was their last season in NAIA) and this is their seventh season as members of the Lone Star Conference.
- Lubbock Christian University has made regional (NCAA postseason) appearances in three of the previous four seasons.
Opening Day
- LCU is 15-3 all-time in season openers.
- Seven of LCU's season openers have resulted in shutout wins.
- On Feb. 13, 2008, LCU's season opener and inaugural game in program history resulted in a 15-0 no-hit victory over Southwest (N.M.).
- The three losses in season openers all came consecutively and ended last season in Gulf Shores, Ala.: 3-1 win over Nova Southeastern in extra innings (8 innings).
- LCU is opening their season away from Gulf Shores for the first time since 2023 and away from home in a non-Alabama location since 2013 (San Antonio, Texas).
- The Lady Chaps were scheduled to open last season in Gulf Shores against No.8 North Georgia, but weather led to schedule adjustments and the game was never played. The last time LCU did open their season against a ranked team was in 2023 (Feb. 3, 2023), as LCU fell to No.22 Washburn at home (2-0). They last opened the season with a win over a nationally ranked team in 2020 (Feb. 1, 2020), opening the season with a 5-4 win in extras (nine innings) over No.9 Florida Tech in Gulf Shores.
Man Up
- LCU is making their second-ever trip to Mansfield and their first since participating in the Mansfield North Texas Softball Bash in 2015 at James McKnight Park East.
- The Lady Chaps are 2-4 all-time in Mansfield.
- Games at the Lone Star Classic are played at Fields at Station 63, which are artificial turfed fields at a sports complex formerly known as Big League Dreams and Mansfield Sports Park.
Last Season
- LCU went 23-22 last season and was fifth in the Lone Star Conference with a 26-18 conference mark. Additionally, LCU went 18-10 in West Division play to finish third in the division (LSC will not use divisions this season).
- Their season came to an end at the NCAA Division II South Central Regional tournament in Canyon, Texas with a 3-1 loss to Colorado Mesa.
- LCU went 4-11 last season against nationally ranked programs last season., collecting a win over No.1 West Texas A&M on April 25, 2025.
- The Lady Chaps went 21-6 last season at home, 10-14 on the road and 5-2 in neutral site games.
The New Kids
- Twelve (12) Lady Chaps are set to make their LCU debut during the 2026 season, as Lubbock Christian integrates one of the program's largest newcomer classes in recent years.
- Eight freshmen join the roster, highlighted by a decorated group of Texas prep standouts:
Madison Hunter (Blanco, Texas, Blanco HS), Alexis Pacheco (Las Vegas, N.M., West Las Vegas HS), Chloe Walls (Brownwood, Texas, Brownwood HS), Lexi Clark (Lubbock, Texas, Frenship HS), Brinley Currington (Shallowater, Texas, Shallowater HS), Coryn Burris (North Richland Hills, Texas, Birdville HS), Brooke Henderson (Crosby, Texas, Crosby HS) and Julie Muniz (El Paso, Texas, Riverside HS).
- Three junior college transfers bring proven production and postseason experience: Kenzie Kauk (Clinton, Okla.) arrives from Seminole State College, while Brianna Chambers-Lee and Gabbi Diotalevi (both San Jose, Calif.) join the Lady Chaps from West Valley College after helping lead the program to a 42–5 record in 2025.
- One Division I transfer, Ava Castillo (Mansfield, Texas), adds speed and versatility after appearing in 26 games at New Mexico, primarily as a pinch runner and defensive specialist.
Guess Who's Back
- After returning nine regular hitters a season ago, the Lady Chaps enter 2026 with a rebalanced roster, bringing back five positional starters from their final game of the 2025 NCAA postseason run. LCU returns 11 total players from last year's squad, including two who redshirted.
- Junior Kadin Vire anchors the returning core after earning LSC Preseason Player to Watch honors. Vire led the team in stolen bases (14), finished second in runs scored and totaled 64 hits while starting all 57 games between the outfield and behind the plate.
- Senior Ashlinn Hamilton provides two-way impact as both a power bat and a pitching option. Hamilton hit seven home runs with 26 RBI while also pitching in nine games, earning LSC Preseason Pitcher to Watch recognition.
- Senior Riley Flores, the team's lone returning All-Conference selection, brings leadership and consistency to the infield. Flores ranked among the conference leaders in walks, scored 29 runs and led the team in on-base percentage in leadoff situations.
- Senior Piper Garcia returns after appearing in 46 games in the outfield, delivering multiple key offensive performances, including a four-RBI outing against Oklahoma Christian.
- Catcher Sophia Reyes, a senior, provides stability behind the plate after posting a .994 fielding percentage while managing a pitching staff that struck out 282 batters.
- In the circle, LCU returns four pitchers who logged at least 22 innings last season, led by sophomore Kendall Ward, who went 6–2 with five saves and a 2.09 ERA. Ward's five saves ranked among the national leaders and earned her All-LSC Third Team and All-Freshman honors.
- Sophomore Natalee Gray adds depth after recording six wins and throwing a no-hitter against UT Permian Basin as a freshman, while junior Reese Farrar returns following 19 pitching appearances in 2025.
Coach Talk
- LCU head coach Daren Hays is in his 16th season at the helm of the Lady Chaps.
- Hays is LCU's winningest softball head coach, entering the season with a softball record of 588-218.
- 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 1,277 total games at LCU.
Looking at AUGIE
- Augustana enters the 2026 season as the clear benchmark in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, having been picked to repeat as league champions for the seventh consecutive year in the NSIC preseason coaches' poll. The Vikings earned 12 first-place votes and 221 total points, continuing a run of sustained dominance that has made them the league's most consistent program.
- Multi-time All-American and All-Region selection Desi Cuevas is the NSIC Preseason Player of the Year, anchoring the Vikings on both sides of the ball. The junior hit .378 last season with a 1.132 OPS, collecting 73 hits, 47 RBIs, and 13 home runs while slugging .694.
- Augustana's pitching depth remains a major strength, highlighted by senior Helene Krage, who was named the team's Pitcher to Watch. Krage posted a 1.65 ERA with 12 strikeouts across limited innings, contributing to a staff that finished with the second-lowest team ERA in the nation a year ago.
- Head coach Gretta Melsted, entering her 20th season at Augustana, brings one of the most accomplished resumes in Division II softball, owning an 863–374 career record across her collegiate coaching career. A reigning NSIC Coach of the Year, Melsted has guided the Vikings through multiple championship runs and spent three seasons at Culver-Stockton prior to Augustana.
- Augustana opened the prior two seasons in Louisiana and are opening the season in Texas for the first time since opening the 2023 season with a 12-7 win over Texas A&M International in Conroe Texas. Friday will mark the seventh time since 2018 in which the Vikings have opened campaigns in Texas.
Looking at UMD
- Minnesota Duluth enters the 2026 campaign after one of the strongest seasons in program history, finishing 39–17 overall and 18–8 in NSIC play. The Bulldogs advanced to the NSIC Semifinals for a third straight year and were picked fourth in the league in the preseason coaches' poll, positioning them firmly among the conference's top-tier contenders. UMD has shown the ability to beat elite teams, including sweeping Augustana in the regular season a year ago.
- Senior catcher Kendal Jenkins, named UMD's NSIC Player to Watch, anchors the lineup and defensive unit. Jenkins hit .335 with a .561 slugging percentage, piling up 58 hits, 19 doubles, a triple, and six home runs while earning First Team All-NSIC honors.
- The Bulldogs' pitching staff projects as a major strength, led by senior Allyssa Williams, the team's NSIC Pitcher to Watch. Williams went 17–8 last season with a 2.91 ERA across 137 innings, striking out 112 batters and limiting opponents to a .249 batting average. She was also an NSIC All-Defensive Team selection.
- Head coach Nat Wagner enters his second season after engineering immediate success in his first year at the helm. In 2025, Wagner guided UMD to 39 wins, coached multiple NSIC First Team selections and an All-Defensive Team honoree.
- The Bulldogs are 13-8 on opening day (combining all games played on the first day and not the first-game only) over the past decade. However, UMD is undefeated in the last four seasons, winning all eight of its opening contests. The last time UMD opened a season outside of Minnesota was 2020, as they fell 4-2 to Tarleton State in Conroe, Texas.
