AUBURN, Ala. -- Longwood heads to the Plainsman Invitational at Auburn this weekend to take on Northern Iowa, the No. 24 Tigers, and Southeast Missouri at Jane B. Moore Field.
SHORT HOPS
▪ Fourth-year Longwood head coach
Dr. Megan Brown was a student manager in 2010 and volunteer assistant at Auburn under longtime Tigers' head coach Tina Deese while working towards her doctorate in kinesiology, graduating in 2013. Auburn went 71-45 (.612) with Brown on staff, advancing to a pair of NCAA regionals.
▪ Current Auburn head coach Mickey Dean spent two seasons as an assistant coach for Kathy Riley at Longwood, helping the Lancers to a 59-39 (.602) mark from 2005-06.
▪ Longwood is a combined 1-4 all-time against Auburn and Southeast Missouri and has not played Northern Iowa in softball.
▪ Longwood was picked in a tie atop the 2024 Big South Conference Preseason Poll, released Jan. 24. The Lancers received four first-place votes and 45 points in the poll to tie with USC Upstate.
BY THE NUMBERS
60 ▪ Longwood finished 60th overall in the NCAA's final 2023 RPI rankings, ahead of two of this weekend's opponents – UNI (81st) and Southeast Missouri (100th).
8 ▪ The Lancers will play eight teams which advanced to the 2023 NCAA tournament, including Women's College World Series teams, Alabama and Tennessee.
2 ▪ LU earned a pair of victories in 2023 against teams in the top 10 of the national polls, winning at No. 4 Florida State on Feb. 11, 5-4, and versus No. 8 Duke April 26, 4-3.
5 ▪ A league-high five Lancers were named to the 2024 preseason All-Big South Team – Korynna Anderson, Er'ron Burton, Lauren Fox, Maryanna Guy and Lauren Taylor.
18 ▪ Longwood has played to a 483-311 (.608) record since becoming Division I eligible for the 2007 season. The Lancers are in their 18th season in Division in 2024.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
Last season, Longwood played the 55th most difficult schedule in the nation. In 2024, the Lancers will play at least 10 games against eight teams that advanced to the 2023 NCAA tournament, including two Women's College World Series participants. The Lancers will play Alabama and Auburn two times each and single games against Charlotte, Clemson, Duke, Liberty, Minnesota and Tennessee.
BIG SOUTH DOMINANCE
Since joining the Big South Conference in 2013, Longwood softball has emerged as the league's premier team. Under former head coach Kathy Riley, who retired after the 2020 season, the Lancers won five of seven Big South league titles, doing so in 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019.
Longwood's five Big South championships are the third most in league history and the most by any team in a seven-year span. Only Coastal Carolina (1992-2012) and Winthrop (1987-Present) have won more, with six titles apiece.
The Lancers have won the last two consecutive Big South regular-season titles under fourth-year head coach Dr. Megan Brown.
LONGWOOD IN NCAA REGIONALS
Longwood has advanced to five NCAA Division I regionals and reached the regional final in 2016 and 2017. The Lancers played in the NCAA postseason in 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019, tying former member Coastal Carolina for the most regional appearances in Big South history.
Longwood is 5-10 overall in NCAA Division I regional play, securing the most NCAA postseason wins by any Big South softball team. The Lancers played to a 2-4 in a pair of NCAA Division II regionals in 2002 and 2003.
RECAPPING THE PIRATE CLASH
Longwood went 2-3 last weekend at East Carolina's Pirate Clash against Marshall, Fairfield and the host Pirates. The Lancers scored first in both of their contests with Marshall on the strength of home runs in each game from sophomore Sophia Knock, but the Thundering Herd came back to win both, scoring four in the eighth inning to win the opener, 6-3, and four times over their final four at-bats to sweep.
The Lancers got a walk-off three-run homer to right field from senior Kayley DeVivi to run-rule Fairfield, 8-0, in five innings to earn a Saturday split. DeVivi went 2-for-3 against the Stags, adding a two-run ground-rule double in the bottom of the second inning to get the scoring started.
Right-hander Maggie Chapin posted consecutive complete-game wins versus Fairfield and in defeating ECU, 5-2, on Sunday. Chapin handed the 11-1 Pirates their first loss, allowing six hits, one walk and one earned run with a career-high nine strikeouts. She finished the weekend 2-1 with a 1.62 ERA in 17 1/3 innings pitched.
RETURNING OFFENSE
Longwood returns 68.5 percent of its total RBIs, 66.2 percent of its runs scored and 65.8 percent of its home runs from 2023. Back in 2024 to power the offense are a quartet of All-Big South second team selections in graduate infielders Korynna Anderson and Lauren Taylor, senior outfielder Lauren Fox and sophomore catcher/designated player Maryanna Guy. A Brandon, Miss., native, Guy belted a team-high-tying eight home runs, while batting .313 on her way to earning NFCA second team all-region honors as well as spot on the Big South All-Freshman Team.
RETURNING PITCHERS
Junior Er'ron Burton and Maggie Chapin are back in the circle for the Lancers in 2024. Burton, one of five Longwood players named preseason All-Big South in January, was a second team selection last spring and earned a place on the league's all-tournament team pitching to a 3.14 ERA and 16-8 record in a team-best 131.2 innings. Chapin earned six victories in 20 starts and 29 appearances with a 3.26 ERA over 111.2 innings.
VINSON WINS NFCA RAWLINGS GOLD GLOVE AWARD
Junior outfielder Emily Vinson played errorless ball in 68 chances in left field last year to earn an NFCA Rawlings Gold Glove Award. Vinson, who had seven outfield assists, became the first mid-major player to earn the recognition in the award's second year of existence.
LANCERS RECOGNIZED BY VIRGINIA HOUSE OF DELEGATES
Tommy Wright of the Virginia House of Delegates sent a commendation to the Longwood softball team congratulating the Lancers on their 2023 Big South regular-season championship. Wright has been a delegate for 22 years, serving nearby Amelia, Cumberland, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway counties.
"The House of Delegates of the Commonwealth of Virginia hereby offers sincerest congratulations to [the] Longwood University Softball Team in recognition of being the Big South Regular Season Champions," Wright's commendation reads.
"I am pleased to congratulate the Longwood University Softball Team on their outstanding season," said Delegate Wright. "In addition to defending their Big South regular season title, they accomplished two top-ten victories vs. #4 Florida State and vs. #8 Duke. The Longwood Lancers second consecutive 30+ win season reflects the passion the Longwood Softball Team continues to bring to their families, Longwood University, and the entire Commonwealth of Virginia."
