GCU returns to Phoenix to open WAC play

Thursday, March 24 - 7 p.m.
	RHP Cameron Brendel 2-0, 10.22 ERA	LHP Patrick Wolfe 1-1, 3.60 ERA
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Friday, March 25 - 7 p.m.
	LHP Jake Repavich 2-1, 1.65 ERA	RHP Danny Beddes 3-2, 3.28 ERA
Live stats
Saturday, March 26 - 11 a.m.
	RHP Mick Vorhof 2-0, 1.00 ERA	LHP Jackson Cofer 1-3, 6.55 ERA
Live stats

PHOENIX -- The Lopes return to Brazell Stadium in Phoenix in time for the start of Western Athletic Conference play with a three-game series against Utah Valley. The series gets underway on Thursday at 7 p.m. and will feature a pair of teams with very similar records and overall numbers. The three-game set continues with a game on Friday at 7 p.m. and closes out with a finale on Saturday at 11 a.m.

LAST TIME OUT
Grand Canyon snapped a five-game skid with a victory over UNLV on Tuesday in Las Vegas. Jake Wong, in his first career start, limited the Rebels to one earned run in 5.0 innings of work. The scoring heated up late in the game, with GCU jumping out to a 7-2 lead. UNLV, however, fought back to tie the score heading to the ninth. Thomas Lerouge laced a two-RBI single to left field in what would prove to be the game-winning hit. AJ Franks struck out the last batter he faced to secure a 10-8 win for the Lopes.

Over the weekend, GCU struggled to get the bats going in a three-game sweep at the hands of No. 19 Houston. The Cougars, who featured a staff ERA of 2.36, made hits hard to come by all series long for the Lopes, who entered the series as the WAC leaders in batting average.

SERIES HISTORY
The Lopes and Wolverines will meet for the third straight season after GCU made the jump to Division I action. Grand Canyon holds a 4-2 edge in games vs. Utah Valley, including a 2-1 record in Orem, Utah last season.

GCU began the series with a 14-6 rout of UVU, amassing 19 hits including four from Paul Panaccione. The second and third games were much tighter, with the Lopes losing and winning by one run. In the rubber match victory, Jake Repavich limited UVU to one earned run in 6.0 innings.

PITCHING PREVIEW
GCU shakes up the pitching rotation to begin WAC play with Cameron Brendel getting the start in the opener and Jake Repavich and Mick Vorhof following. Brendel will look to put some relief struggles in his rearview mirror as he gets his first start of the season. Repavich has been GCU's ace of the rotation to date, featuring three starts of 7.0 scoreless innings. Vorhof makes his first start in 2016 after being the Lopes' No. 1 option out of the bullpen, having allowed just one earned run in nine innings of work.

Utah Valley will pitch lefty, righty, lefty with Patrick Wolfe, Danny Beddes and Jackson Cofer. Wolfe and Beddes feature a combined 3.41 ERA, while Coffer has a 6.55.

SCOUTING UTAH VALLEY
The Wolverines have some impressive wins on their resume entering the weekend, including wins over Pac-12 opponent No. 5 Oregon State who is 16-2 on the year. UVU has also topped Washington State and Minnesota.
Utah Valley has extremely similar numbers to GCU on the season with the clubs featuring batting averages and ERAs both within five points of one another.

UVU leads the conference with 211 hits while Greyson Bogden leads all WAC hitters with 34 hits and nine doubles. On the pitching staff, Danny Bedde's 3.28 ERA is 10th in the conference with the most innings pitched (35.2). Patrick Wolfe has limited opponents to a .189 batting average, which is 4th in the WAC.

ON THE HORIZON
After this weekend's WAC-opening series, the Lopes will travel to CSU Bakersfield next weekend to continue conference play.

For more news and notes on Grand Canyon Baseball, click on the 'GCU Game Notes' document above.

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Players Mentioned

Cameron Brendel

AJ Franks

Tom Lerouge

Paul Panaccione

Jake Repavich

Mick Vorhof

Jake Wong

Grand Canyon University Athletics