FARMVILLE, Va. -- The Longwood softball team hosts Radford in its final home series of the regular season Saturday and Sunday at Lancer Field. All three games are slated to be streamed on ESPN+.
The Lancers are set to honor their six graduating seniors --
Korynna Anderson, Peyton Coleman, Kayley
DeVivi, Rileigh De Weese, Lauren Fox and Lauren Taylor -- in a pregame ceremony prior to Sunday's 1 p.m., first pitch.
SHORT HOPS
▪ Longwood holds a 42-27 lead in the all-time series with Radford, dating to the 1987 season, the first game being a 10-2 win. The Lancers are 34-14 against the Highlanders in Longwood's Division I era, which began in 2007. The Lancers have won six of the last seven between the two and seven of 10 games overall.
▪ Longwood has played the 62nd most difficult schedule in NCAA Division I softball in 2024 as of April 18 with a cumulative record of 1067-844-4 (.563), combining past and future opposition.
▪ Catcher/designated player Maggie Hiatt was named Big South Conference Freshman of the Week for the second time this season, the league announced Monday. Hiatt batted .364 (4-for-11) with two home runs, a double and six RBIs. The homers came in consecutive at-bats to lead off the third and fifth innings Sunday against Winthrop, helping Longwood build a 9-2 lead on the way to a 10-6 victory and series sweep.
▪ Senior left fielder and leadoff hitter Lauren Fox (team-best .331 batting average) has hit safely in 28-of-40 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.
BY THE NUMBERS
2 ▪ Kayley DeVivi has hit two game-ending, three-run home runs this season, helping the Lancers beat Fairfield, 8-0, Feb. 17 and Presbyterian, 10-1, March 29, in five innings.
8 ▪ The Lancers were slated to play eight teams that advanced to the 2023 tournament, including Women's College World Series teams, Alabama and Tennessee.
1 ▪ Longwood leads the Big South Conference in home runs per game at 0.68, hitting 28 home runs in 41 games. The Lancers are 102nd in the NCAA in the category.
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 549-370 (.597) record since becoming Division I eligible for the 2007 season. The Lancers are in their 18th season in Division in 2024.
9 ▪ Maggie Chapin has pitched six shutouts this season to rank ninth in the country. She owns all the Lancers' shutouts. LU is 88th nationally in the category as a team.
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.
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.
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).
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. She claimed the honor again April 15, hits home runs in consecutive at-bats Sunday versus Winthrop. 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.
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 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 16 Division I players to hit three homers in a game this season.
CHAPIN A WORKHORSE
Sophomore right-hander Maggie Chapin leads the Big South Conference in appearances (34) which is third nationally, innings pitched (148 1/3), which is sixth, shutouts (six) which is ninth overall and wins (13), which is 52nd in the NCAA.
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 106-100 (.515) overall and 57-23 (.712) in Big South play.
EVERYDAY TAYLOR
Shortstop Lauren Taylor has played in 225 career games for the Lancers, a figure that ranks 39th in NCAA Division I among active players. She is also 48th in all NCAA divisions.