Upcoming Event: Baseball versus MLB Desert Invitational on February 13, 2026
Baseball
vs MLB Desert Invitational
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Schwartz named WAC Preseason Player of the Year
2/8/2017 10:00:00 AM | Baseball
DENVER - Grand Canyon junior outfielder Garrison Schwartz was named Western Athletic Conference Preseason Player of the Year the conference announced on Wednesday morning. Joining Schwartz on the All-WAC team is sophomore infielder Zach Malis. The Lopes were picked to finish fourth in the nine-team conference, just one point behind third-place Sacramento State. The preseason polls were voted on by the conference's nine coaches who could not vote for their own team or players.
"The preseason accolades are good in the respect that our guys are thought of highly going into the new season," head coach Andy Stankiewicz said. "I'm happy for Garrison and Zach. What's more important is that we have a strong upcoming year."
Both Schwartz and Malis ended the 2016 campaign with some form of All-Conference recognition. Schwartz was named first team All-WAC as an at-large member, while Malis earned second team honors at first base. Austin Bull was the third member of the Lopes to receive postseason recognition a year ago, although he was not recognized on the 2017 preseason team.
After a Freshman of the Year season in 2015, Schwartz returned and batted .373 in conference play in 2016, a mark that ranked fifth in the conference. He led the WAC with 19 doubles, while pacing the Lopes with six home runs. The junior will look to pick right where he left off at the end of last season, closing out the year on a 10-game hitting streak which began on May 6 and carried out through the end of the season. Over the streak, he hit .459 (17-for-37).
Malis was a part of GCU's highly-touted freshman class in 2016 and had to earn his playing time early on in the year. The 6-4 infielder started just 4 of the Lopes' first 15 games on the year before carving out the everyday first baseman role. Along with Preston Pavlica, Malis was one of just two freshmen to be named WAC Player of the Week a year ago, earning the honor on April 24 after posting three multi-hit games in the Lopes' sweep of North Dakota. Malis finished with 29 hits in conference play, third-most among GCU players, and 21 RBIs in conference play, second on the team.
Schwartz's selection marks the second consecutive year that the WAC Preseason Player of the Year wears a GCU uniform. Last season, senior Paul Panaccione earned the preseason nod before going on to hit .363 and be selected in the 10th round of the MLB Draft by the Washington Nationals.
The Lopes are in the final stages of offseason preparation with the season opener just around the corner. The program will host its annual Alumni Game on Saturday before hosting No. 22 Oklahoma State in the season opener on Friday, Feb. 17.
"The preseason accolades are good in the respect that our guys are thought of highly going into the new season," head coach Andy Stankiewicz said. "I'm happy for Garrison and Zach. What's more important is that we have a strong upcoming year."
Both Schwartz and Malis ended the 2016 campaign with some form of All-Conference recognition. Schwartz was named first team All-WAC as an at-large member, while Malis earned second team honors at first base. Austin Bull was the third member of the Lopes to receive postseason recognition a year ago, although he was not recognized on the 2017 preseason team.
After a Freshman of the Year season in 2015, Schwartz returned and batted .373 in conference play in 2016, a mark that ranked fifth in the conference. He led the WAC with 19 doubles, while pacing the Lopes with six home runs. The junior will look to pick right where he left off at the end of last season, closing out the year on a 10-game hitting streak which began on May 6 and carried out through the end of the season. Over the streak, he hit .459 (17-for-37).
Malis was a part of GCU's highly-touted freshman class in 2016 and had to earn his playing time early on in the year. The 6-4 infielder started just 4 of the Lopes' first 15 games on the year before carving out the everyday first baseman role. Along with Preston Pavlica, Malis was one of just two freshmen to be named WAC Player of the Week a year ago, earning the honor on April 24 after posting three multi-hit games in the Lopes' sweep of North Dakota. Malis finished with 29 hits in conference play, third-most among GCU players, and 21 RBIs in conference play, second on the team.
Schwartz's selection marks the second consecutive year that the WAC Preseason Player of the Year wears a GCU uniform. Last season, senior Paul Panaccione earned the preseason nod before going on to hit .363 and be selected in the 10th round of the MLB Draft by the Washington Nationals.
The Lopes are in the final stages of offseason preparation with the season opener just around the corner. The program will host its annual Alumni Game on Saturday before hosting No. 22 Oklahoma State in the season opener on Friday, Feb. 17.
| 2017 Baseball Conference Awards | |
| Award | Player, School |
| Player of the Year | Garrison Schwartz, Jr., Grand Canyon |
| Pitcher of the Year | Nick Meservey, Jr., Seattle U |
| 2017 Baseball Preseason All-WAC Team | |
| Position | Player, School |
| Catcher | Mason Fishback, Jr., New Mexico State |
| First Base | Sean Sutton, Jr., Seattle U |
| Second Base | David Metzgar, Sr., CSU Bakersfield |
| Third Base | Trey Stine, Sr., New Mexico State |
| Shortstop | Griffin Andreychuk, Sr., Seattle U |
| Outfield | Garrison Schwartz, Jr., Grand Canyon |
| Outfield | Austin Botello, Sr., New Mexico State |
| Outfield | Jose Garcia, Sr., New Mexico State |
| Starting Pitcher | Nick Meservey, Jr., Seattle U |
| Starting Pitcher | Kyle Bradish, So., New Mexico State |
| Starting Pitcher | Tarik Skubal, Jr., Seattle U |
| At-Large | Zach Malis, So., Grand Canyon |
| At-Large | Max Carter, Sr., CSU Bakersfield |
| 2017 Preseason Baseball Coaches Poll | ||
| Rank | Team (First-place votes) | Points |
| 1 | Seattle U (4) | 60 |
| 2 | New Mexico State (1) | 52 |
| 3 | Sacramento State (2) | 47 |
| 4 | Grand Canyon | 46 |
| 5 | Utah Valley (2) | 43 |
| 6 | CSU Bakersfield | 25 |
| 7 | UT Rio Grande Valley | 24 |
| 8 | Northern Colorado | 19 |
| 9 | Chicago State | 8 |
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball❌ 𝐧𝐨 𝐟𝐥𝐲 𝐳𝐨𝐧𝐞 ❌ Max Charles' diving grab
Friday, November 14
Dom goes DEEP at ASU in fall ball
Friday, November 14
GCU Baseball - WAC Tournament vs. Utah Tech - Highlights
Thursday, May 22
Baseball at Stanford - Barreras' game-winning double
Saturday, May 10