Lady Chaps Begin Battle in 'Bama

DECATUR, Ala. (May 20, 2010) – The Lady Chaparrals of Lubbock Christian University are in their third season of existence and they make their third consecutive trip to the NAIA Softball National Championship looking for their second national title Thursday opening play in pool play at 2:30 p.m. facing Indiana University – Southeast.    WATCH ONLINE    ONLINE AUDIO LINK    LIVE SCORING

The Lady Chaps, in their first year under head coach Larry Hays, head to the tournament with a 52-6 record. They are the top at-large bid in the 32-team field and are in a four-team pool joined by Bethel College (Ind.), Morningside College (Iowa), and Indiana University – Southeast.

LCU ranks in the top-three in 12 different statistical categories in the NAIA.  They lead the NAIA in runs-batted-in per game (8.2), batting (.410), runs-batted-in (475) and slugging (.664).  Kim Frazier heads to Decatur as the NAIA’s most decorated offensive player with a NAIA single-season record of 35 home runs, which is three shy of setting the national collegiate single season home run record.  She leads the NAIA in seven other offensive categories.  LCU also has solid pitching from Alyssa Gutierrez , who leads the NAIA with 36 wins.  The Lady Chaps are 12-3 all-time in Decatur.

IU-Southeast is 33-12 overall this season coming out of the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.  They ride a nine-game win streak into Alabama and they have three shutouts in their past five games.  The New Albany, Ind. based program ranks eighth in the NAIA in team ERA (1.42).   They completed the KIAC with a 17-1 conference record.  Pitcher Kayla Duke is 14-5 this season with an average of 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings.  This is their second trip to Decatur and they went 0-4 there last season.

LCU will face Morningside College Friday. Out of the Great Plains Athletic Conference, Morningside went 21-3 in conference play and they are 39-7 on the season.  They rank sixth in the NAIA in homers per game (1.1).  The Sioux City, Iowa based program has won 15 straight games.  They have a played a common opponent with LCU, losing to Northwestern Oklahoma State 10-5.  They are making their third appearance in Decatur and they are 2-4 all-time there.

The Lady Chaps will wrap up pool play Saturday with a clash against No.15 Bethel College, who makes its fourth consecutive trip to Decatur.  The Pilots are 45-7 overall and they completed play in the Mid-Central College Conference with a 12-4 mark.  They are an aggressively fast team on the bases, ranking second in the NAIA with 200 team stolen bases.  Holly Weaver has snagged 57 bases this season (second in the NAIA).  Katie Boocher leads the NAIA with a .519 batting average and she is second behind LCU’s Kim Frazier in slugging (1.109).  Bethel, out of Mishawaka, Ind. (near South Bend), has won their last five games.  They are 6-5 all-time at the National Championship.

Teams must win their pool to advance to bracket play, which begins Monday.  All LCU games will not only be carried online, but they will also air locally in Lubbock on the Sports Express Radio Network.  Thursday’s game will air on Sports Radio 1340 AM “The Fan.”