Completed Event: Baseball at Stanford on May 9, 2025 , Win , 4, to, 3
Baseball
at Stanford
W 4-3
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Sunday, May 13
Phoenix, Ariz.
12 p.m.
Grand Canyon
29-22, 16-5
10
vs
2
Sacramento State
28-22, 14-7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Sacramento State
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
2
8
4
Grand Canyon
0
0
3
0
1
4
2
0
X
10
13
0
Lopes 'stay on it,' stay atop WAC
5/13/2018 3:42:00 PM | Baseball, Paul Coro
Evanko leads Senior Day win vs. Sac State
The only thing greater than the Grand Canyon seniors' emotions for their final home game was the importance of Sunday's game for GCU baseball.
The only thing more clutch than Sacramento State winning at GCU Ballpark and tying the Lopes for the conference lead Friday was the Lopes' retaking command with wins on Saturday and Sunday.
A senior saw to that. For a fifth consecutive series, GCU starting pitcher Ethan Evanko won a Sunday rubber-match game by making one of the Lopes' most efficient offensive performances stand up in a 10-2 victory.
With a regular season-ending series this week at Seattle, GCU (29-22, 16-5) is two wins away from defending its regular-season Western Athletic Conference title and a win away from earning a first-round bye in the WAC Tournament. The Lopes now hold tiebreakers against New Mexico State (15-6) and Sacramento State (14-7).
GCU ended the Hornets' string of winning eight consecutive WAC series by winning its 16th consecutive WAC series, the nation's longest streak of conference series victories. It was only the third time during that streak that the Lopes did it by rebounding from a series-opening loss.
"It's a credit to the boys for staying on it," GCU head coach Andy Stankiewicz said. "I use that expression a lot, 'Stay on it. Keep grinding.' I'm proud of the weekend. We got knocked down on Friday and were able to get back up and have two good games."
Evanko has been a savior for the pitching staff, taking over the Sunday starting job as WAC play began and after missing his junior season following Tommy John surgery. In his past six starts, GCU has won each game with Evanko posting a 2.31 earned run average.
The Lopes were only leading 4-2 in the sixth inning Sunday when Evanko fell behind on a 2-0 count with a Hornet runner on second base. It was the first time Evanko allowed the day's emotions to seep in, thinking any pitch could be last at GCU.
The bullpen was active as Lopes pitching coach Rich Dorman visited Evanko. His five-second stay was long enough to tell Evanko that he was not coming out of his last home start.
Evanko recorded his ninth strikeout to end the inning, giving him 40 strikeouts in his past 35 innings.
"I knew he was going to give me the opportunity to do that," Evanko said. "He has faith in me. I just really wanted to get that last guy out.
"It was kind of a surreal experience because I've been here for so long. I felt like this day would never come. It's a great place to play. It's sad that it's coming to an end but we still got good things in front of us."
This series was a good indication of that. The Lopes scored 18 runs in the two wins against the WAC's ERA leader and did not make an error.
Lopes sophomore right fielder Quin Cotton stayed hot, recording his 13th three-hit game of the season Sunday after having one three-hit game last season. Cotton, who has moved to the leadoff spot permanently, is batting .508 over the past 14 games.
Every starter had a hit Sunday, including junior center fielder Preston Pavlica on his six-for-11 weekend.
"Today was about as good of executing offense as we've had since I've been here in a big game -- moving runners over, getting runners in, sac fly, taking extra bases with base-running, got a safety (squeeze bunt) down," Stankiewicz said. "And no home runs. Baseball can still be fun and exciting if you execute."
After Evanko preserved the 4-2 lead, GCU hit three doubles in a four-run sixth inning against Sacramento State closer Tanner Dalton. The Hornets' starter, Parker Brahms, had struck out 14 Seattle batters last week and entered Sunday with a 2.12 ERA but allowed two earned runs in five innings. Dalton allowed four earned runs in one inning after entering with a 1.72 ERA.
Mick Vorhof, one of six GCU seniors honored after the game, pitched the final inning of the Lopes' 29th win, which tops last season's total. Another GCU senior, first baseman Ian Evans, said he found himself looking around GCU Ballpark during the ninth inning to take in the final moments of his final home game.
Evans, who added to his team-high RBI total of 46, and Evanko both called Sunday's game "surreal" but have their first real postseason ahead with the WAC Tournament in 10 days.
"We're playing for each other and have a lot of faith in each other as a team so I think that's helping out a lot," Evans said.
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Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
Â
The only thing more clutch than Sacramento State winning at GCU Ballpark and tying the Lopes for the conference lead Friday was the Lopes' retaking command with wins on Saturday and Sunday.
A senior saw to that. For a fifth consecutive series, GCU starting pitcher Ethan Evanko won a Sunday rubber-match game by making one of the Lopes' most efficient offensive performances stand up in a 10-2 victory.
With a regular season-ending series this week at Seattle, GCU (29-22, 16-5) is two wins away from defending its regular-season Western Athletic Conference title and a win away from earning a first-round bye in the WAC Tournament. The Lopes now hold tiebreakers against New Mexico State (15-6) and Sacramento State (14-7).
GCU ended the Hornets' string of winning eight consecutive WAC series by winning its 16th consecutive WAC series, the nation's longest streak of conference series victories. It was only the third time during that streak that the Lopes did it by rebounding from a series-opening loss.
"It's a credit to the boys for staying on it," GCU head coach Andy Stankiewicz said. "I use that expression a lot, 'Stay on it. Keep grinding.' I'm proud of the weekend. We got knocked down on Friday and were able to get back up and have two good games."
Evanko has been a savior for the pitching staff, taking over the Sunday starting job as WAC play began and after missing his junior season following Tommy John surgery. In his past six starts, GCU has won each game with Evanko posting a 2.31 earned run average.
The Lopes were only leading 4-2 in the sixth inning Sunday when Evanko fell behind on a 2-0 count with a Hornet runner on second base. It was the first time Evanko allowed the day's emotions to seep in, thinking any pitch could be last at GCU.
The bullpen was active as Lopes pitching coach Rich Dorman visited Evanko. His five-second stay was long enough to tell Evanko that he was not coming out of his last home start.
Evanko recorded his ninth strikeout to end the inning, giving him 40 strikeouts in his past 35 innings.
"I knew he was going to give me the opportunity to do that," Evanko said. "He has faith in me. I just really wanted to get that last guy out.
"It was kind of a surreal experience because I've been here for so long. I felt like this day would never come. It's a great place to play. It's sad that it's coming to an end but we still got good things in front of us."
This series was a good indication of that. The Lopes scored 18 runs in the two wins against the WAC's ERA leader and did not make an error.
Lopes sophomore right fielder Quin Cotton stayed hot, recording his 13th three-hit game of the season Sunday after having one three-hit game last season. Cotton, who has moved to the leadoff spot permanently, is batting .508 over the past 14 games.
Every starter had a hit Sunday, including junior center fielder Preston Pavlica on his six-for-11 weekend.
"Today was about as good of executing offense as we've had since I've been here in a big game -- moving runners over, getting runners in, sac fly, taking extra bases with base-running, got a safety (squeeze bunt) down," Stankiewicz said. "And no home runs. Baseball can still be fun and exciting if you execute."
After Evanko preserved the 4-2 lead, GCU hit three doubles in a four-run sixth inning against Sacramento State closer Tanner Dalton. The Hornets' starter, Parker Brahms, had struck out 14 Seattle batters last week and entered Sunday with a 2.12 ERA but allowed two earned runs in five innings. Dalton allowed four earned runs in one inning after entering with a 1.72 ERA.
Mick Vorhof, one of six GCU seniors honored after the game, pitched the final inning of the Lopes' 29th win, which tops last season's total. Another GCU senior, first baseman Ian Evans, said he found himself looking around GCU Ballpark during the ninth inning to take in the final moments of his final home game.
Evans, who added to his team-high RBI total of 46, and Evanko both called Sunday's game "surreal" but have their first real postseason ahead with the WAC Tournament in 10 days.
"We're playing for each other and have a lot of faith in each other as a team so I think that's helping out a lot," Evans said.
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Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Evanko, Ethan (4-1)
L: Brahms, Parker (4-4)
Batting:
2B: Dawkins, Ian 1 ; Floyd, PJ 1
RBI: Floyd, PJ 1 ; Moretto, Steven 1
SF: Moretto, Steven 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Outman, James 1 ; Smith, Matt 1
CS: Urps, Josh 1
Batting:
2B: Cotton, Quin 1 ; Malis, Zach 1 ; Bull, Austin 1 ; Wyatt, Tyler 1
RBI: Cotton, Quin 1 ; Winchester, Pikai 1 ; Evans, Ian 1 ; Malis, Zach 1 ; Bull, Austin 1 ; Mumper, Marc 1
SH: Winchester, Pikai 1 ; Pavlica, Preston 1 ; Mumper, Marc 1
SF: Malis, Zach 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cotton, Quin 2 ; Winchester, Pikai 1 ; Evans, Ian 1 ; Malis, Zach 1 ; Pavlica, Preston 1 ; Bull, Austin 1 ; Wyatt, Tyler 1 ; Avitia, David 1 ; Mumper, Marc 1
SB: Cotton, Quin 1 ; Bull, Austin 1
CS: Winchester, Pikai 1 ; Pavlica, Preston 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
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