GCU Baseball Captures WAC Regular-Season Crown

Saturday, May 16

Sacramento, CA

12 p.m.

Grand Canyon

32-22, 19-7

Sacramento State

30-25, 16-11

Grand Canyon

Sacramento State

5/16/2015 3:59:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Lopes defeat Sacramento State 6-3 Saturday to secure title

8129 — The GCU baseball team celebrates after capturing
the WAC regular season crown Saturday.
(Photo Credit: Bob Solorio/Sacramento State Athletics)

On the final day of the season, Grand Canyon baseball clinched the program's first-ever Western Athletic Conference regular season crown. GCU defeated Sacramento State 6-3 at John Smith Field in Sacramento, Calif., Saturday. GCU finished one-half game ahead of Seattle U.

Click here to listen to Michael Potter's postgame interview with head coach Andy Stankiewicz.

"Obviously excited about winning the WAC title," said head coach Andy Stankiewicz. "The guys just continued to fight all weekend long and very proud of what we accomplished. It was our goal (to win the conference title) and the guys stuck together as a team and fought until the finish to accomplish that goal."

The Lopes finish with a record of 32-22, 19-7 in the WAC, marking the third year in a row GCU has hit the 30-win plateau. The Hornets end the regular season 30-25, 16-11. Seattle U swept its weekend series with Northern Colorado and finished WAC play with a 19-8 mark.

GCU jumped to an early lead, plating a pair of runs in the first. Brian Kraft's two-out RBI triple highlighted the first inning offense for GCU.

After Sacramento State strung together a three-run second, the Lopes tacked on a run in fourth on a Humberto Aranda RBI base knock and added another in the fifth with a Rouric Bridgewater sacrifice fly to take a 4-3 lead.

Clinging to a one-run lead entering the eighth, it was again Ben Mauseth providing the big hit, as the sophomore went yard for the second time in as many days to put the Lopes up 6-3.

Cameron Brendel (4-3) threw 3.2 scoreless innings out of the pen en route to picking up the win. Mick Vorhof came in and pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to secure his fifth save of the season.

"Excited for all of the players and the coaching staff and very grateful to our administration for supporting us and all of our parents and fan base," added Stankiewicz. "I want to thank them for all of their support all year long. I believe it's a great accomplishment and something we are all very proud of."

GCU 6, Sacramento State 3