CANYON, Texas (May 7, 2026) – Lubbock Christian University begins their postseason journey in the Lone Star Conference Championships Thursday at Schaeffer Park against a program they faced four times during the regular season, as the No.6-seed Lady Chaparrals face No.3-seed No.18 Angelo State in an 11 a.m. Quarterfinals meeting in the nine-team single elimination tournament.
The Scenario
- If LCU defeats Angelo State, LCU will play again Friday in a Semifinals contest at 2 p.m. against the winner of the matchup featuring No.2-seed No.21 UT Tyler and No.7-seed St. Mary's.
- A loss to the Rambelles would eliminate LCU from the tournament.
LCU and ASU Series Snapshot
- Angelo State holds a 19-8 all-time record against Lubbock Christian.
- The Lady Chaps and Rambelles have met 12 times since the start of the 2024 season, including four games this season (pair of doubleheaders home-and-home). ASU swept the regular season (4-0) and have won six 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 3-2 against ASU in a neutral site setting, including a 2-0 mark against ASU in Canyon, with LCU winning 1-0 on May 3, 2024 and 5-1 on Feb. 13, 2016.
- LCU is 5-13 against Angelo State in Lone Star Conference matchups and 2-1 in postseason matchups. LCU is 1-0 against ASU in LSC Championship play (1-0 May 3, 2024 meeting) and the teams are split (1-1) in NCAA Div. II Regionals ( LCU's NCAA postseason win was a 6-5 win in 13 innings on May 12, 2022 in Tyler, Texas).
- The largest margin of victory for LCU in the series was a 5-0 win on April 14, 2024.
- The Lady Chaps have scored 94 total runs in the series, averaging 3.48 runs per game.
- Some notes from this season's series:
- Brianna Chambers-Lee is 5-for-12 in the series with a home run and three RBI. She is 2-for-3 with runners in scoring position in the series.
- ASU has an 11-5 advantage in extra-base hits, with a 6-3 advantage in home runs.
- Kadin Vire leads LCU with four RBI in the series.
Season Tidbits
- Lubbock Christian is 28–22 overall and completed Lone Star Conference play with a 24–16 record to finish sixth in the league standings. After an 0–5 start, the Lady Chaps surged to a 28–17 mark over their next 45 games. LCU closed the regular season going 11–5 over its last 16 games and owns a 2–6 record this season in neutral site play.
- All-LSC Selections:
- Offensively, LCU is batting .289 as a team with 393 hits, 67 doubles, 10 triples and 36 home runs while averaging 5.20 runs per game. The Lady Chaps rank among the top 10 in the Lone Star Conference in batting average, slugging percentage (.432), doubles, runs scored, RBI and home runs.
- The Lady Chaps continue to shine defensively, leading the Lone Star Conference and ranking third nationally in double plays per game (0.56) while sitting fifth nationally in total double plays turned (28). LCU owns a .953 fielding percentage.
- Kadin Vire has emerged as one of the Lone Star Conference's top all-around hitters, batting .409 (6th in LSC) with 65 hits (7th in LSC), 17 doubles (5th in LSC), five triples (2nd in LSC), four home runs and a .654 slugging percentage. She leads LCU in runs scored (42), total bases (104), multi-hit games (19) and ranks among the national leaders in assists by a catcher (11 runners caught stealing).
- Vire closed the regular season on a tear, going 5-for-7 (.714) with four doubles, six RBI and six runs produced in the final doubleheader sweep over Sul Ross State. She enters postseason play with five three-hit games this season.
- Ashlinn Hamilton continues to anchor LCU as one of the conference's top two-way players. At the plate, Hamilton is hitting .312 with 10 doubles, nine home runs and 46 RBI (11th in LSC), while in the circle she owns a 2.96 ERA with opponents batting .236 against her, which ranks sixth in the conference in hits allowed per seven innings.
- Hamilton has homered three times over the last four games and finished the regular season with back-to-back home run performances against Sul Ross State. She also has 16 two-out RBI this season and co-leads LCU with 12 multi-RBI games.
- Brianna Chambers-Lee is batting .312 with 11 doubles, four home runs and 27 RBI while posting a .403 on-base percentage. She closed the regular season hitting .500 (6-for-12) with two home runs and five RBI over the final four games.
- Riley Flores, a three-time all-conference selection, is hitting .306 with 20 walks and a .435 on-base percentage. Flores has reached base safely in 37 of her 43 games played this season and continues to provide veteran stability in the middle infield for one of Division II's top double-play combinations.
- Freshman Alexis Pacheco has developed into one of the nation's elite defensive shortstops, leading the Lone Star Conference and ranking fourth nationally with 143 assists. Her 2.94 assists per game rank second nationally. Offensively, she is batting .265 with five home runs and 24 RBI while starting all 50 games.
- Coryn Burris has added power production throughout the lineup, batting .272 with eight doubles, nine home runs and 35 RBI. Burris also ranks among the LSC leaders defensively with 94 assists at third base.
- Ava Castillo leads the Lady Chaps with 12 stolen bases while Madison Hunter has added nine steals. LCU is 46-for-60 in stolen base attempts this season.
- In the circle, LCU owns a 3.67 team ERA and ranks sixth in the Lone Star Conference in both ERA and WHIP (1.48). The Lady Chaps have produced seven shutouts this season and opponents are batting .267 against the staff.
- Alexis Clark leads the pitching staff with an 11-8 record and 101.2 innings pitched. She owns a 2.96 ERA with five shutouts, which ranks third in the Lone Star Conference.
- Kendall Ward has become one of Division II's top closers, leading both the Lone Star Conference and NCAA Division II with eight saves. Ward is 7-4 with a 3.47 ERA across 25 appearances.
- Natalee Gray closed the regular season with a win in the series finale against Sul Ross State and owns a 7-4 record with 36 strikeouts across 61.0 innings pitched.
- Over the final 12 regular season games, LCU's offense erupted for 21 home runs after totaling just 15 homers over the first 38 games of the season. The Lady Chaps produced six multi-home run games during that closing stretch.
Deeper Dive
- Lubbock Christian has elevated its situational offense late in the season, hitting .304 (134-for-441) with runners in scoring position while converting at a .463 clip (69-for-149) with runners at third and fewer than two outs. Ashlinn Hamilton continues to anchor those moments, batting .368 (21-for-57) with runners in scoring position and .579 in RBI-conversion opportunities. Kadin Vire has been equally dangerous at .479 with runners in scoring position, while Julie Muniz owns a team-best .800 average (8-for-10) with a runner at third and less than two outs.
- The Lady Chaps continue to create pressure immediately, posting a .377 leadoff-on-base percentage (125-for-332). Kadin Vire has been LCU's premier catalyst, reaching safely at a .613 rate in leadoff opportunities, while Riley Flores (.474) and Piper Garcia (.478) have consistently sparked innings from the top half of the lineup.
- LCU's offense remains significantly more productive with traffic on the bases, hitting .301 with runners aboard compared to .275 with the bases empty. Cat Prisock has thrived in those moments, batting .400 with runners on base, while Ashlinn Hamilton (.352), Alexis Pacheco (.275) and Kadin Vire (.407) continue to extend innings in clutch situations.
- Situational execution continues to define the Lady Chaps offensively, as LCU has successfully advanced runners in 50.0% of opportunities (403-for-806). Julie Muniz leads the club at a .700 advancement rate, while Cat Prisock (.625), Ava Castillo (.622), Ashlinn Hamilton (.561) and Kadin Vire (.548) continue to fuel LCU's ability to manufacture offense without relying exclusively on power.
- Two-out production has become a major separator offensively. Coryn Burris is batting .400 (18-for-45) with two outs and leads the team with 14 two-out RBI, while Hamilton owns 16 two-out RBI and is hitting .353 in those situations. Alexis Clark (.283) and Vire (.283) have also consistently extended innings late in counts.
- Mid-game offense has become one of LCU's defining traits. The Lady Chaps have scored 48 runs in the fourth inning and 41 runs in the fifth, combining for 89 runs across those two frames alone. LCU has also improved its early-game scoring profile, plating 99 combined runs over the opening three innings.
- Game flow trends continue to heavily favor LCU when playing from ahead. The Lady Chaps are 20-2 when leading after four innings, 23-3 when leading after five, and 25-2 when carrying a lead into the seventh inning. Conversely, LCU is just 3-18 when trailing after four and 2-19 when behind after six, reinforcing the importance of early-game execution.
- Run prevention remains one of the clearest indicators of success. Lubbock Christian is a perfect 19-0 when holding opponents to two runs or fewer and 19-5 when opponents fail to homer. The Lady Chaps are also 9-4 when playing error-free softball.
- Hit differential continues to strongly correlate with outcomes. LCU is 22-5 when out-hitting opponents and just 1-16 when being out-hit, underscoring the lineup's importance in dictating tempo and results.
- Offensive production scales sharply with success. The Lady Chaps are 1-9 when scoring two runs or fewer, 10-11 when scoring between three and five runs, but an impressive 17-2 when scoring six or more runs, including 11-1 when producing between six and nine runs.
- Power production has surged entering postseason play. Over the final 12 regular season games, LCU launched 21 home runs and produced six multi-home run performances after totaling just 15 home runs across the opening 38 games of the season. The Lady Chaps closed the regular season with 36 total home runs and eight multi-home run games overall.
- Defensively, Lubbock Christian continues to separate itself nationally with 28 double plays turned, leading the Lone Star Conference and ranking third nationally in double plays per game (0.56). Freshman shortstop Alexis Pacheco leads the Lone Star Conference and ranks fourth nationally with 147 assists, while Coryn Burris ranks among the conference leaders with 95 assists at third base.
- In the circle, balance has fueled the pitching staff. Alexis Clark leads the staff with 11 wins, five shutouts and 101.2 innings pitched, while Kendall Ward leads NCAA Division II with eight saves. Ashlinn Hamilton owns a staff-best 2.96 ERA among primary contributors and has limited opposing hitters to a .236 batting average.
Lone Star Conference Championships Breakdown
- This season is LCU's sixth tournament appearance in the LSC Championships (of six eligible seasons, as there was no tournament in 2020).
- Prior to the LSC, LCU qualified for four Heartland Conference Championships, winning the tournament twice (2016, 2017) and compiling a 10-5 tournament record all-time.
- LCU is 2-5 all-time in the LSC Championships (2-2 in Canyon).
Lone Star Conference Breakdown
- This season marked LCU's seventh season in the LSC.
- LCU is 141-86 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 University finished 24-16 in Lone Star Conference play, hitting .287 as a team with 33 home runs, 49 doubles, six triples and a .365 on-base percentage while averaging 5.30 runs per game (212 total runs).
- Kadin Vire paced the offense, batting .394 with 13 doubles, three triples, four home runs and 32 RBI, while posting a .638 slugging percentage and .466 on-base percentage in 40 conference starts.
- Ashlinn Hamilton continued her standout two-way season, hitting .317 with nine home runs and a team-high 38 RBI, while also going 2-1 with a 2.15 ERA and .217 opponent batting average across 42.1 innings in the circle.
- Brianna Chambers-Lee added middle-order production with a .311 average, eight doubles, four home runs and 21 RBI, while Riley Flores reached base at a .443 clip and scored 18 runs as LCU's primary table-setter.
- Coryn Burris supplied power with seven home runs and 23 RBI, while Piper Garcia (.304 average, .458 OBP) and Julie Muniz (.293 average, 13 RBI) provided key depth and situational production.
- The Lady Chaps remained aggressive on the bases, going 38-for-48 (79.2%) in stolen-base attempts, led by Ava Castillo (9-for-11) and Riley Flores (6-for-7).
- LCU's pitching staff combined for a 3.53 ERA in conference play, striking out 154 batters across 268.0 innings while holding opponents to a .260 batting average.
- Alexis Clark anchored the rotation with a 10-7 record, 2.79 ERA, five shutouts and 48 strikeouts over a team-high 90.1 innings pitched.
- Kendall Ward recorded six saves with a 3.26 ERA across 58.0 innings, continuing to serve as LCU's primary late-game option, while Natalee Gray added five wins and Reese Farrar posted a 1.13 WHIP in relief work.
- LCU outscored conference opponents 212-162 and continued to thrive in the middle innings, scoring 48 combined runs in the fourth and fifth innings during conference action.
Streaking Along
- Kadin Vire had a 12-game hit streak, which is the longest streak of the season by a Lady Chap.
- Brianna Chambers-Lee actively leads LCU with hits in eight straight games.
- Riley Flores had reached base safely in 15 consecutive games, which is the longest by a Lady Chaps member this season.
- Garcia actively leads LCU in consecutive games reaching base safely with a streak of 11 games.
- Vire leads LCU with 19 multi-hit performances (14 are two-hit games).
- Ashlinn Hamilton and Vire co-lead LCU with 12 multi-RBI performances.
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 616-240 (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 1,375 total games at LCU.
Looking at ASU
- Angelo State enters the series as one of the Lone Star Conference's premier contenders, sitting third in the league standings at 32–8 in conference play and 43–12 overall, trailing only West Texas A&M and UT Tyler at regular season's close. The Rambelles have been one of the most consistent teams in the league all season, though they enter the matchup having dropped three of their last four contests, including a series split at Eastern New Mexico to close the regular season.
- Offensively, Angelo State boasts one of the most explosive lineups in the region, hitting .329 as a team while ranking among the LSC leaders in on-base percentage (.436), slugging (.538) and total runs (364). The Rambelles average 6.6 runs per game and have compiled 475 hits, 97 doubles, 23 triples and 53 home runs, showcasing a balanced attack that blends power and speed. They also lead the conference in stolen bases (122-for-142), consistently applying pressure on opposing defenses.
- Freshman standout Zoey Sifuentes anchors the lineup, hitting .412 with 21 doubles, four triples, 13 home runs and a conference-leading 71 RBI, while posting a .495 on-base percentage and .812 slugging percentage. Tatiana Trotter complements that production with a .363 average, 16 home runs, 54 RBI and a .505 OBP, while also adding 12 stolen bases. Kylie Forney (.358, .545 OBP, 33 stolen bases) and Karli Manney (32 stolen bases) headline an elite speed group, giving ASU constant scoring threats throughout the order. Additional depth from Ashleigh Dendas (.351, 41 RBI) and Abby Brand (.328, 29 RBI) further lengthens a lineup that features six regular starters hitting above .320.
- In the circle, Angelo State pairs that offensive firepower with one of the league's top pitching staffs, carrying a 2.83 ERA and holding opponents to a .247 batting average. Addy Ewing leads the way at 15–0 with a 2.24 ERA across 100.0 innings, while Maddison Ruiz provides a high-volume complement at 14–6 with a 2.41 ERA and a team-best 108 strikeouts over 110.1 innings. Ashleigh Dendas (10–6, 3.55 ERA) adds experienced depth, giving the Rambelles multiple reliable options capable of controlling games.
- Angelo State collected 11 awards at the Lone Star Conference banquet, led by Zoey Sifuentes (Freshman of the Year) and Kylie Forney (Newcomer of the Year). Sifuentes hit .412 with 71 RBI, while Forney led the LSC in walks and steals. Four Rambelles earned First Team All-LSC honors, including standout pitcher Addy Ewing (15-0, 2.24 ERA) and power hitter Tatiana Trotter (.834 slugging). Two more were named second team, highlighting ASU's depth entering postseason play.
