GCU hosts Arizona for first time in over a decade

TUESDAY, APRIL 11
#7 ARIZONA WILDCATS 23-8 (7-5 PAC-12) ~~SERIES RELEASE~~	vs.	GRAND CANYON LOPES 14-17 (8-1 WAC) SERIES RELEASE

GAME ONE

Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. MST

TBA
vs.

LHP Tyler Hansen (0-0, 4.66)

Stats | CW6, GCU.tv, ESPN3.com, WatchESPN

Hot off an 8-1 conference start, the Grand Canyon baseball team will host the University of Arizona in Phoenix for the first time since April 22, 2003, a 4-0 Lopes' victory. The two schools rekindle a matchup that dates back to 1967 and has been contested 81 times. First pitch from Brazell Stadium is set for 7 p.m. and will air on CW6 in the Phoenix area as well as nationally on GCU.tv, ESPN3.com and the WatchESPN family of apps. Barry Buetel (play-by-play), Mike Rooney (analysis) and Kate Longworth (reporter) will be on the call.

While the Lopes hold a slight 14-13 advantage in games at Brazell Stadium, Arizona holds the all-time advantage in the series. The mid-week game is a rematch of the in-state matchup. No. 13 Arizona took a narrow 3-2 victory in Tucson on March 29, the Lopes first meet up with any Pac-12 opponent since 2014.

The Lopes' strength of schedule ranks 34th nationally ahead of Tuesday night's matchup against No. 7 Arizona. This game against Arizona is the only relief from a stretch of eight road games in a nine-game span. Grand Canyon will have next week off from mid-week action, having played a mid-week game in five consecutive weeks.

Last time out, the WAC's top two ERA leaders went at it in a pitching duel that lived up to its billing. Grand Canyon would eventually come out on top of Sac State when the Lopes scored on a passed ball late in the game to win 2-1. After Sac State took the second game, the Lopes claimed the rubber match. GCU scored six runs in the fifth inning, taking advantage of three Hornets' errors in the frame.

In mid-week action, GCU lost a pair of games to No. 15 Arkansas while dodging stormy conditions. GCU pitching staff walked eight batters in the opening game. In Game 2, the Lopes struggled with strikeouts as GCU fell despite out-hitting the Razorbacks 11-9.

Arizona took two of three games from Washington State on the road this past weekend. Game 1 was a laugher, with the Wildcats winning 19-5. Arizona used a 12-run sixth inning and pounded out 10 extra-base hits. Six players registered multi-hit games. The Cougars recovered to win the middle game, 9-3. Washington State scored runs in each of its first three innings to take a commanding 7-0 lead. Arizona won the series with a narrow, one-run victory in Sunday's rubber match. The Wildcats were able to withstand a late push by WSU to cling on to a 6-5 win.

The Wildcats are coming off of a 2016 season which saw them reach the College World Series for the 17th time in program history. Arizona fell one win shy of winning their fifth national title. In Omaha, the Wildcats defeated Miami once and Oklahoma State twice to reach the CWS Final. After taking the first game of the series, cinderella story Coastal Carolina won Games 2 and 3 to claim the national title.

Freshman Tyler Hansen (0-0, 4.66) will get his first start at Brazell Stadium after previously starting two games, one against Arizona and one against Arkansas.

The in-state matchup pairs a number of former high school teammates up against one another. Both teams feature players from Desert Vista, Mountain Ridge, Queen Creek and Sandra Day O'Connor.

Following the mid-week matchup, WAC play continues on the road for the Lopes as they travel to Chicago State this weekend in a three-game series beginning on Thursday, April 14 at 4 p.m. MST. Friday's game will be aired on the WAC Digital Network at 1:00 p.m. before concluding the series on Saturday, April 16 at 10 a.m. MST.

For more news and notes, click here for the 2017 GCU Baseball Media Guide and click here for the series release.

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Players Mentioned

Austin Bull

Tyler Hansen

Tom Lerouge

Tyler Wyatt

Grand Canyon University Athletics