Completed Event: Softball at Colorado State on May 2, 2026 , Win , 11, to, 2 , (5 inn.)
Softball
at Colorado State
W 11-2
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: Travis Neely
Lopes picked to win WAC title
1/31/2018 2:03:00 PM | Softball
Four players tabbed preseason All-WAC
DENVER – The Grand Canyon softball team is the preseason favorite to win the Western Athletic Conference based on votes from the league's six coaches, announced Wednesday by the conference office. Coaches were unable to vote for their own teams.
GCU claimed four of six total votes for the No. 1 rank heading into non-conference play next weekend. New Mexico State (2) and Seattle U rounded out the top three, while Utah Valley, Kansas City and CSU Bakersfield were fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.
The Lopes also placed a conference-best four players on the Preseason All-WAC list, as Brianna Aguilar-Beaucage, Kendsey Hill, Shea Smith and Sierra Smith were tabbed as preseason honorees.
Aguilar-Beaucage, a sophomore pitcher hailing from Tucson, Arizona, earned All-WAC Second Team honors as a freshman for the Lopes after holding a 2.94 ERA with a 10-7 record on the season. Aguilar-Beaucage represented Team Canada over the summer at the Canada Cup and the WBSC Junior Women's Softball World Championship.
A graduate student, Hill hails from Walla Walla, Washington. The catcher was an All-WAC First Team selection and an NFCA Division I All-Region honoree after holding a .336 batting average with four home runs and 34 RBI. She tallied nine doubles and 24 runs on the season.
A junior shortstop from Waddell, Arizona, Shea Smith was an All-WAC Second Team selection in 2017 after leading the Lopes with a .364 batting average from a team-best 60 hits. Smith was third on the team with 11 doubles and 36 runs, while starting all 54 games for the Lopes.
Also a junior from Waddell, Arizona, Sierra Smith was an All-WAC First Team selection at third base and utility player last season after starting all 54 games for the Lopes. Smith ranked second on the team in batting with an average of .349, while also ranking second in hits (58), runs (37) and triples (3).
The reigning WAC champions from 2017, the Lopes return 15 players, including seven starters from last year's squad. GCU opens its season on Thursday, February 8 at the brand new GCU Softball Stadium with a doubleheader against Montana. The first pitch is set to be thrown at 5:30 p.m. (MT).
2018 WAC Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll
2018 Softball Preseason All-WAC Team
Preseason Player of the Year: Kelsey Horton, NM State
Preseason Pitcher of the Year: Andie Larkins, Seattle U
GCU claimed four of six total votes for the No. 1 rank heading into non-conference play next weekend. New Mexico State (2) and Seattle U rounded out the top three, while Utah Valley, Kansas City and CSU Bakersfield were fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.
The Lopes also placed a conference-best four players on the Preseason All-WAC list, as Brianna Aguilar-Beaucage, Kendsey Hill, Shea Smith and Sierra Smith were tabbed as preseason honorees.
Aguilar-Beaucage, a sophomore pitcher hailing from Tucson, Arizona, earned All-WAC Second Team honors as a freshman for the Lopes after holding a 2.94 ERA with a 10-7 record on the season. Aguilar-Beaucage represented Team Canada over the summer at the Canada Cup and the WBSC Junior Women's Softball World Championship.
A graduate student, Hill hails from Walla Walla, Washington. The catcher was an All-WAC First Team selection and an NFCA Division I All-Region honoree after holding a .336 batting average with four home runs and 34 RBI. She tallied nine doubles and 24 runs on the season.
A junior shortstop from Waddell, Arizona, Shea Smith was an All-WAC Second Team selection in 2017 after leading the Lopes with a .364 batting average from a team-best 60 hits. Smith was third on the team with 11 doubles and 36 runs, while starting all 54 games for the Lopes.
Also a junior from Waddell, Arizona, Sierra Smith was an All-WAC First Team selection at third base and utility player last season after starting all 54 games for the Lopes. Smith ranked second on the team in batting with an average of .349, while also ranking second in hits (58), runs (37) and triples (3).
The reigning WAC champions from 2017, the Lopes return 15 players, including seven starters from last year's squad. GCU opens its season on Thursday, February 8 at the brand new GCU Softball Stadium with a doubleheader against Montana. The first pitch is set to be thrown at 5:30 p.m. (MT).
2018 WAC Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll
| Rank | Teams (1st-Place Votes) | Points |
| 1 | Grand Canyon (4) | 24 |
| 2 | NM State (2) | 22 |
| 3 | Seattle U | 16 |
| 4 | Utah Valley | 14 |
| 5 | Kansas City | 8 |
| 6 | CSU Bakersfield | 6 |
2018 Softball Preseason All-WAC Team
| Player | School | Yr. | Pos. |
| Brianna Aguilar-Beaucage | Grand Canyon | So. | P |
| Nikki Butler | NM State | So. | C |
| Lauren Frailey Spendlove | Utah Valley | Sr. | P |
| Kelsey Goodwin | Kansas City | Sr. | MIF |
| Kendsey Hill | Grand Canyon | Gr. | C |
| Chris Hipa | CSU Bakersfield | Jr. | 3B/UT |
| Kelsey Horton | NM State | Jr. | UT |
| Andie Larkins | Seattle U | Jr. | P |
| Caragh Morris | Utah Valley | So. | UT |
| Kaylee Ree | Seattle U | Jr. | 2B |
| Rachel Rodriguez | NM State | Sr. | SS |
| Shea Smith | Grand Canyon | Jr. | SS |
| Sierra Smith | Grand Canyon | Jr. | UT |
Preseason Player of the Year: Kelsey Horton, NM State
Preseason Pitcher of the Year: Andie Larkins, Seattle U
Players Mentioned
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Thursday, May 21
Monday, May 18
Sunday, May 17