SAN ANGELO, Texas (April 24, 2026) – Lubbock Christian University hits the road for a final time in the regular season with a four-game road trip opening Friday evening at Mayer Field in the Concho Valley, as the Lady Chaparrals face No.13 Angelo State for a 5 p.m. Lone Star Conference doubleheader to complete a four-game home-and-home season series.
| LONE STAR CONFERENCE SOFTBALL |
| OPPONENT |
LOCATION |
DAY |
TIME (CT) |
VIDEO |
STATS |
WEATHER |
| No.13 ASU |
Mayer Field |
Fri., Apr. 24 |
5 p.m. |
Watch |
Stats |
Weather |
| No.13 ASU |
Mayer Field |
Fri., Apr. 24 |
7 p.m. |
Watch |
Stats |
Weather |
|
LCU and ASU Series Snapshot
- Angelo State holds a 17-8 all-time record against Lubbock Christian.
- The Lady Chaps and Rambelles have met 10 times since the start of the 2024 season, including a pair of games this season in Lubbock. ASU claimed the two meetings in Lubbock (9-3, 4-3 on Feb. 22) and have won four straight meetings.
- LCU's longest winning streak in the series is four games (April 30, 2022 – April 15, 2023).
- Angelo State's longest winning streak is eight games (March 2, 2017 – April 30, 2022).
- The Lady Chaps are 3-8 at home and 2-7 on the road against the Rambelles. ASU has won the last three meetings in San Angelo, with the last series Mayer Field resulting in a 7-3 and 4-1 doubleheader sweep on Apr. 6, 2025.
- LCU is 511 against Angelo State in Lone Star Conference matchups.
- The largest margin of victory for LCU in the series was a 5-0 win on April 14, 2024.
- The Lady Chaps have scored 87 total runs in the series, averaging 3.48 runs per game.
- Some notes from this season's series:
- Brianna Chambers-Lee is 3-for-6 in the series with two RBI. She is 2-for-2 with runners in scoring position in the series.
- ASU has a 6-1 advantage in extra-base hits, with a 4-0 advantage in home runs.
- Lexi Clark has allowed one run over 5.0 innings in the circle and is 2-for-5 at the plate in the series.
Season Tidbits
- Lubbock Christian is 23–19 overall and 19–13 in Lone Star Conference play through 42 games, currently sitting sixth in the league standings and firmly inside the top-eight cutoff for the LSC Championship with eight conference games remaining. After an 0–5 start, the Lady Chaps have surged to a 23–14 mark since and carry a five-game win streak into Friday following a doubleheader sweep of Texas A&M International. LCU is 8–4 over its last 12 games and owns an 11–7 road record this season.
- Offensively, LCU is hitting .285 as a team with 328 hits, including 60 doubles, eight triples and 23 home runs, averaging 5.00 runs per game (210 total runs). The Lady Chaps are 38-for-50 in stolen bases (76.0%), continuing to create pressure offensively while ranking ninth in the Lone Star Conference in scoring.
- LCU continues to excel defensively, leading the Lone Star Conference and ranking second nationally with 24 double plays turned (0.57 per game). The Lady Chaps are fielding .952 as a team.
- Kadin Vire, the reigning LSC Hitter of the Week, remains one of the premier hitters in the Lone Star Conference, batting .424 (56-for-132) with 15 doubles (5th in LSC), five triples (2nd in LSC) and three home runs. She owns a .682 slugging percentage and .497 on-base percentage while leading LCU with 40 runs scored and 90 total bases. Vire enters the series on a nine-game hitting streak and has reached base in 10 consecutive contests.
- Riley Flores is hitting .333 with five stolen bases and ranks second on the team with a .455 on-base percentage, serving as a consistent table-setter at the top of the lineup.
- Ashlinn Hamilton leads the team with 38 RBI and six home runs while batting .290. She also contributes in the circle with a 3.07 ERA across 45.2 innings pitched.
- Freshman Coryn Burris leads the team with eight home runs and ranks second with 32 RBI, while also standing among the LSC leaders defensively with 81 assists (ninth).
- Brianna Chambers-Lee is hitting .287 with 10 doubles and 21 RBI, while Cat Prisock is batting .274 with 15 runs scored in a versatile role.
- Alexis Pacheco continues to be one of the nation's premier defenders, leading the Lone Star Conference and ranking among the top five nationally with 123 assists (3.02 per game). She is also hitting .268 with five home runs and 23 RBI, coming off a four-hit, two-home run performance in the last series, which led to LSC Freshman of the Week honors.
- On the bases, Ava Castillo leads the team with 11 stolen bases, while Madison Hunter is 9-for-11 in stolen base attempts.
- In the circle, LCU owns a 3.61 team ERA (fifth in the LSC) with opponents hitting .258. The Lady Chaps rank sixth in the conference in WHIP (1.44).
- Lexi Clark (9–7, 2.73 ERA) leads the staff with 84.2 innings pitched, recording four complete games and five shutouts. She is coming off a five-inning complete-game one-hitter in the series opener against Texas A&M International.
- Kendall Ward (6–3, 3.09 ERA) and Natalee Gray (6–4, 4.28 ERA) have combined for 74 strikeouts, while Ward leads NCAA Division II and the Lone Star Conference with eight saves, extending her program-record total.
- LCU is coming off a doubleheader sweep of Texas A&M International in which the Lady Chaps hit five home runs and allowed just five total hits across the two games.
Deeper Dive
- Lubbock Christian is hitting an even .300 (113-for-377) with runners in scoring position, while converting at a strong .429 clip (57-for-133) with runners at third and less than two outs. Ashlinn Hamilton continues to anchor those moments, hitting .380 (19-for-50 RISP) and an elite .579 in R3rd <2-out situations,="" while="" kadin="" vire="" (.436="" risp)="" and="" julie="" muniz="" (.412="" risp;="" .778="" r3rd=""><2 outs)="" provide="" consistent="" secondary="">
- The Lady Chaps continue to generate early traffic, posting a .367 leadoff on-base percentage (103-for-281). Kadin Vire (.667) and Riley Flores (.500) set the tone at the top, with Flores adding a .426 average with the bases empty, reinforcing her role as a primary rally starter.
- Production still improves with traffic: LCU is hitting .295 with runners on base compared to .274 with the bases empty. Cat Prisock (.419 with runners on), Ashlinn Hamilton (.338), and Brianna Chambers-Lee (.300) have been key drivers in sustaining innings.
- Situational execution remains a defining trait, as LCU has advanced runners in 49.3% of opportunities (340-for-690). Julie Muniz (.667), Ava Castillo (.645), Cat Prisock (.629), and Ashlinn Hamilton (.547) lead a lineup that consistently manufactures movement.
- Two-out production continues to separate LCU offensively. Coryn Burris is hitting .417 (15-for-36) with two outs and leads the team with 13 two-out RBI, while Hamilton (.317) and Alexis Clark (.286) have extended innings at key moments.
- Inning-by-inning production highlights a balanced offensive attack with a mid-game edge. LCU has scored 37 runs in the fourth inning and 34 in the fifth, combining for over one-third of their total offense. Early innings remain pivotal, as opponents have scored 87 combined runs in the first three frames compared to LCU's 79, reinforcing the importance of early-game pitching stability.
- Game flow trends remain decisive: LCU is 16-2 when leading after four innings and 20-2 when leading after six, but just 2-16 and 2-17 when trailing in those same splits, emphasizing the importance of playing from ahead.
- Run prevention continues to dictate outcomes. The Lady Chaps are a perfect 16-0 when holding opponents to two runs or fewer, and 17-5 when opponents do not hit a home run, compared to just 6-14 when allowing one or more long balls.
- Hit differential remains one of the clearest indicators of success, as LCU is 19-4 when out-hitting opponents and just 1-14 when being out-hit, reinforcing the lineup's role in dictating results.
- Scoring output continues to scale with success: LCU is 1-9 when scoring two runs or fewer, 9-8 when scoring 3–5 runs, and an impressive 13-2 when scoring six or more runs (including 9-1 when scoring 6–9), underscoring the offense's ability to separate games when it finds rhythm.
Lone Star Conference Breakdown
- This season is LCU's seventh season in the LSC.
- LCU is 138-83 all-time in LSC play.
- The Lady Chaps went 26-18 last season in conference (third in the West Division standings at 18-10).
- Lubbock Christian is 19-13 in Lone Star Conference play, sitting sixth in a highly competitive league race and riding a five-game conference winning streak entering the final stretch of the regular season. The Lady Chaps have surged back into postseason positioning after navigating a midseason stretch against four of the league's top five teams.
- Lubbock Christian is averaging 5.06 runs per game (162 total runs) in conference play, hitting .282 as a team (244-for-865) with 42 doubles, four triples and 20 home runs. The Lady Chaps own a .362 on-base percentage and .409 slugging percentage, while going 30-for-38 (78.9%) on stolen base attempts, continuing to apply pressure offensively.
- Kadin Vire continues to anchor the lineup, batting .410 (41-for-100) in conference play with 11 doubles, three triples and three home runs. She owns a .670 slugging percentage and .491 on-base percentage, while striking out just five times, remaining one of the most difficult outs in the Lone Star Conference.
- Ashlinn Hamilton remains one of the league's top two-way performers, hitting .291 with six home runs and a team-high 30 RBI. In the circle, she holds a 2.08 ERA across 33.2 innings, limiting opponents to a .214 batting average while providing key innings in both starting and relief roles.
- Riley Flores is hitting .317 with a .470 on-base percentage in conference play, continuing to set the tone offensively, while Coryn Burris (.289, 20 RBI, six HR) and Brianna Chambers-Lee (.278, 15 RBI) provide production and power through the middle of the order.
- Additional depth has come from Piper Garcia, who is hitting .278 with a .435 on-base percentage, while Alexis Pacheco (19 RBI, four HR) and Alexis Clark (11 RBI) continue to deliver timely run production. Ava Castillo adds a speed element, going 8-for-10 in stolen base attempts.
- In the circle, Alexis Clark has been a stabilizing presence, going 8-6 with a 2.48 ERA across 73.1 innings, including four complete games and five shutouts, while holding opponents to a .240 batting average.
- Kendall Ward has anchored the bullpen with six saves and a 2.66 ERA over 44.2 innings, limiting opponents to a .223 batting average while continuing to serve as LCU's primary late-game option.
- As a staff, LCU owns a 3.40 ERA in conference play across 216.0 innings, allowing 205 hits with 124 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .246 batting average.
- LCU has outscored conference opponents 162-126 and has found its greatest offensive rhythm in the middle innings, scoring 34 runs in the fourth inning and 27 in the fifth.
- The Lady Chaps have remained strong in close conference games, going 7-5 in contests decided by two runs or fewer, including a 4-1 mark in one-run games, reinforcing their ability to execute in high-leverage situations.
On The Road
- LCU is 11–7 in true road games this season, including a 9–7 Lone Star Conference record away from home. The Lady Chaps opened the season with four consecutive road victories and have recorded four shutouts in 18 road contests, while also going a perfect 2–0 in extra-inning games.
- The Lady Chaps own a 2.57 ERA in road games, allowing 47 earned runs across 128.0 innings, while holding opponents to a .222 batting average and surrendering just seven home runs. LCU pitchers have combined for four shutouts and carry a 1.16 WHIP in away environments.
- Kendall Ward has been dominant on the road, going 5–0 with a 0.78 ERA across 36.0 innings, allowing just four earned runs on 26 hits, while holding opponents to a .198 batting average with three saves and a 1.00 WHIP.
- Natalee Gray is 3–2 with a 3.27 ERA in road appearances, tossing 30.0 innings with 16 strikeouts while limiting opponents to a .230 batting average.
- Lexi Clark is 3–4 with a 3.53 ERA in road games, recording two complete games and two shutouts across 35.2 innings pitched, continuing to provide stability in the rotation.
- Ashlinn Hamilton has added value in the circle with a 1.34 ERA over 15.2 road innings, holding opponents to a .193 batting average in limited action.
- Offensively, LCU is hitting .241 in road games, totaling 123 hits with 37 extra-base hits (28 doubles, three triples and six home runs) while scoring 69 runs.
- Kadin Vire leads the road lineup with a .397 batting average (23-for-58), recording eight doubles, two triples and one home run for a .655 slugging percentage and .485 on-base percentage, while striking out just twice.
- Riley Flores is hitting .308 with a .438 on-base percentage in road games, while Ashlinn Hamilton is batting .290 with two home runs and a team-high 13 RBI.
- Coryn Burris has added power production with three home runs and seven RBI, while Brianna Chambers-Lee has driven in eight runs and recorded six doubles in road contests.
- LCU has outscored opponents 69–58 in road games this season, continuing to pair efficient pitching with timely offense in away environments.
Streaking Along
- Kadin Vire had a 12-game hit streak, which is the longest streak of the season by a Lady Chap.
- Vire actively leads LCU with hits in nine straight games. On her heels is Coryn Burris, who has an eight-game hit streak.
- Riley Flores had reached base safely in 15 consecutive games, which is the longest by a Lady Chaps member this season.
- Vire actively leads LCU in consecutive games reaching base safely with a streak of 10 games.
- Additionally, Vire leads LCU with 17 multi-hit performances (13 are two-hit games).
- Ashlinn Hamilton leads LCU with nine multi-RBI performances. Alexis Pacheco follows with eight multi-8 contests.
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 weekend with a softball record of 611-237 (he became the 25th active NCAA Div. II head coach to achieve 600 career softball victories).
- Along with surpassing 600 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 1,367 total games at LCU.
Looking at ASU
- Angelo State enters the series as one of the Lone Star Conference's top contenders, sitting near the top of the league standings at 27–5 in conference play and 38–9 overall, trailing only the league leader by a narrow margin. The Rambelles have surged late, riding an eight-game winning streak into the weekend after sweeping both St. Edward's and St. Mary's on the road, positioning themselves firmly in the race for the regular-season title.
- The Rambelles bring one of the most balanced and explosive offenses in the region, hitting .327 as a team (top three in the LSC) while ranking second in the conference in on-base percentage (.437) and RBI production (289). They average 6.7 runs per game and have compiled 406 hits, with a lineup that features power (38 home runs), gap production (86 doubles, 21 triples—No. 1 in the LSC), and elite speed, leading the conference with 111 stolen bases.
- Freshman standout Zoey Sifuentes anchors the lineup, hitting .431 with 20 doubles, nine home runs and 64 RBI—ranking among the LSC leaders in multiple categories—while preseason offensive player of the year Tatiana Trotter adds .336 production with nine home runs, 43 RBI and six triples. Kylie Forney (.366, .545 OBP, 28 stolen bases) and Karli Manney (30 stolen bases) further pressure defenses, giving ASU a dynamic top-to-bottom order capable of manufacturing and exploding for runs.
- In the circle, Angelo State pairs depth with efficiency, leading the Lone Star Conference with a 2.43 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. Addy Ewing headlines the staff at 14–0 with a 2.19 ERA across 76.2 innings, while Maddison Ruiz (10–4, 2.25 ERA, 82 strikeouts) and Ashleigh Dendas (10–5, 3.18 ERA) provide a steady rotation. The staff has limited opponents to a .237 batting average and just 15 home runs across 309 innings, consistently keeping ASU in control of games.
- The Rambelles have proven their ability to win in a variety of ways throughout the season, including an early-season sweep of LCU in Lubbock (9-3, 4-3) and dominant conference showings such as a four-game sweep of UT Permian Basin and multiple run-rule victories. They are 14–6 on the road and 18–3 at home, where they'll host this series at Mayer Softball Field, adding another layer of difficulty with senior-day energy for veterans Karli Manney and Tatiana Trotter.
