Completed Event: Baseball versus Cal State Fullerton on November 8, 2025 ,
Baseball
vs Cal State Fullerton
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Thursday, March 8
Phoenix, Ariz.
6 p.m.
Grand Canyon
vs
Penn State
GCU hosts final non-conference weekend series
3/7/2018 9:00:00 PM | Baseball
Lopes host a Big Ten opponent for first time in three decades
Phoenix, Ariz..  • Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark |
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| Penn State Nittany Lions (4-5, 0-0Â Big Ten) GAME NOTES |
Grand Canyon Lopes (3-8, 0-0Â WAC) GAME NOTES |
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| GAME 1  • Thursday, March 8 • 6 p.m. MST GCU.tv • Live Stats • WAC Digital Network RHP [FR] Conor Larkin (0-0, 7.36)  vs.  RHP [JR] Jake Wong (1-0, 2.93) |
| GAME 2  • Friday, March 9  • 6 p.m. MST GCU.tv • Live Stats • WAC Digital Network RHP [JR] Justin Hagenman (1-1, 2.25)  vs.  RHP [R-SR] Mike Lundin (1-2, 3.95) |
| GAME 3  • Saturday, March 10 • 2 p.m. MST GCU.tv • Live Stats LHP [SR] Taylor Lehman (1-1, 2.70)  vs.  LHP [SR] Jake Repavich (0-1, 11.88) |
GCU wraps up a seven-game homestand with three games against Penn State -- a Thursday-Friday-Saturday series. The three-game set marks the final home non-conference weekend series, as the Lopes will return home in two weeks and begin Western Athletic Conference play.Â
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THREE THINGS TO KNOW
- BATTLING THE BIG TEN: While this weekend's three games will mark the first ever meetings between GCU and Penn State, the Lopes have had several matchups against current members of the Big Ten Conference. GCU hasn't hosted a Big Ten opponent since 1988, however. The Lopes have a 21-15 (.583) all-time record against current members of the conference.
 - WITH THE GLOVE: GCU begins the season as one of the top-25 teams in fielding percentage. The Lopes have committed just eight errors through 11 games, a .981 fielding percentage that ranks 23rd nationally and first in the WAC.
 - MUMPER LEADING CHARGE: Junior Marc Mumper is off to a hot start, leading the team with a .375 average and .531 slugging percentage. Mumper had multiple hits in three of last weekend's four games after previously having just four multi-hit games in his entire career. The Colorado native has spent the majority of his time batting in the No. 9 spot, but got a chance to lead things off in the GCU Classic finale last weekend.
SCOUTING
- PENN STATE:Â Penn State is wrapping up a 12-game road trip to begin its 2018 season. Following this weekend, the Nittany Lions will host their home opener against Mount St. Mary's back in Pennsylvania. Penn State went 18-37 last year, a step back after a 28-27 season in 2016. Thus far in 2018, Penn State has relied on its pitching to win games more so than its offense. The Nittany Lions rank 273rd in batting average (.214).
In the first leg of their six-game West Coast road trip, the Nittany Lions salvaged one game of a three-game series at UC Santa Barbara. Penn State won the finale, 8-7, on Monday thanks to a five-run fifth inning. The Gauchos fought back and scored five in the seventh, but Penn State held UCSB scoreless in the eighth and ninth. UCSB took Games 1 and 2 10-4 and 4-0. Penn State hosted a tournament in North Carolina, where it was swept by UMBC, Monmouth and St. John's. The Nittany Lions opened the season with a three-game sweep of Elon on the road, topping the Phoenix by scores of 2-1, 8-6, and 3-2.
RHP Justin Hagenman is considered the Big Ten's 11th-ranked prospect for the upcoming MLB Draft, per D1Baseball.com. He is the Nittany Lion's only top-30 prospect in the conference according to D1Baseball.
CU and Penn State do not play any common opponents in 2018. The Lopes do play one road series at fellow Big Ten opponent, Illinois, from April 20-22.
LAST TIME OUT
- GCU opened the weekend with a 13-8 victory over CSUN, using three triples and two homers to top the Matadors.
- After a well-pitched loss to CSUN on Saturday, Valparaiso took two from GCU with a barrage of runs.
WHAT'S NEXT
- The Lopes return to California for their second of four stops to the Golden State.
- GCU plays a Wednesday game at UC Riverside before visiting Cal State Fullerton for a three-game weekend series. The Titans are coming off of a trip to the College World Series in 2017. GCU and Cal State Fullerton are one of just nine programs nationally to win regular season conference titles in at least two of the last three seasons among conferences with eight or more members.
For more GCU baseball news, notes and numbers, click here to view the series notes and click here to view the media guide.
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Players Mentioned
RHP
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LHP
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