FARMVILLE, Va. -- The Longwood softball team is back home at Lancer Field this weekend, hosting Winthrop for three Big South Conference games Saturday and Sunday. All three games are slated to be streamed on ESPN+.
SHORT HOPS
â–ª Longwood holds a 28-10 lead in the all-time series with Winthrop, dating to the 2009 season opener in the Red & Black Showcase in Athens, Ga. The Lancers dropped that meeting, 7-1, on Feb. 13. More recently, LU has won the last 10 games against the Eages
with their last loss coming May 11, 2019 in the Big South tournament, 4-3, in Buies Creek, N.C.
â–ª Longwood has played the 54th most difficult schedule in NCAA Division I softball in 2024 as of April 11 with a cumulative record of 991-769-4 (.563), combining past and future opposition.
â–ª Senior center fielder and leadoff hitter Lauren Fox (team-best .351 batting average) has hit safely in 25-of-35 games played this season. Fox and right fielder Kayley DeVivi each boast seven-game hitting streaks this season to tie for the longest on the team.
â–ª Over the last five games, the Lancers have hit .272 as a team. Leading the way in that span, dating to an April 2 loss to No. 25 Charlotte, is senior Lauren Fox at .450 (9-for-20). Senior Korynna Anderson is batting .389 (7-for-19). Graduate graduate student Lauren Taylor (.316) and junior Emily Vinson (.308) are also hitting better than .300 in the stretch.
LANCERS TIED ATOP BIG SOUTH PRESEASON POLL
Longwood was picked in a tie for the top spot the 2024 Big South Conference Preseason Poll, Jan. 24. The Lancers received four first-place votes and 45 points in the poll to tie with USC Upstate.Â
BIG SOUTH PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Right fielder Kayley DeVivi became the fourth different Longwood player to earn a Big South weekly honor when she was named league Player of the Week April 1 for the first time in her career. Right-hander Maggie Chapin earned Big South Pitcher of the Week plaudits for the second time this season, as well.Â
DeVivi's .889 batting average tied for the national lead in the category for the week with Skyler Shaw of UNLV. Her three RBIs per game for the week also tied for tops in the nation with Jocelyn Erickson of Florida and Jenna Golembiewski of Miami University. She also finished second in the NCAA for the week in on-base percentage (.900) and third in slugging percentage (1.778).Â
Catcher Maggie Hiatt earned Big South Freshman of the Week March 4, hitting .600 (6-for-10) with a home run, two doubles, seven RBIs with a 1.100 slugging percentage, helping Longwood to a 3-1 week with two wins over Brown and one against Stetson at the Tennessee Classic. Sophia Knock was Player of the Week Feb. 27 following her three home run game against Northern Iowa.
BIG SOUTH DOMINANCE
Since joining the Big South Conference in 2013, Longwood has emerged as the league's premier team. Under former head coach Kathy Riley, who retired following the 2020 season, the Lancers won five of seven Big South titles, doing so in 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019.Â
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.Â
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 record in a pair of NCAA Division II regionals in 2002 and 2003.
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK
Against Northern Iowa on Feb. 23, infielder Sophia Knock become the fourth Longwood player in history with a three home run game and first since Emily Murphy did it in an 8-6 Big South tournament victory over Campbell on May 11, 2013. Knock is one of 15 Division I players to hit three homers in a game this season.Â
CHAPIN A WORKHORSE
Sophomore right-hander Maggie Chapin leads the Big South Conference in appearances (31) which is third nationally, innings pitched (132 1/3), which is 10th, shutouts (five) which is 13th overall and wins (11), which is 69th in the NCAA.Â
KEEPIN' IT 100
With the Lancers' 4-0 win in game two of the March 16 doubleheader at Gardner Webb, fourth-year head coach Dr. Megan Brown reached 100 career coaching wins. She is now 103-98 (.512) overall and 54-23 (.701) in Big South play.
EVERYDAY TAYLOR
Graduate student shortstop Lauren Taylor has played in 220 career games for the Lancers, a figure that ranks 45th in NCAA Division I among active players.
