Lopes host Purple Classic

The Grand Canyon softball team returns to GCU Softball Stadium this weekend for the second of four non-conference tournaments at home. The Lopes host Michigan State, North Dakota, Yale and Boise State for a 13-game tournament over three days in Phoenix. GCU faces Michigan State and North Dakota on Friday at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., respectively. The Lopes return on Saturday for a 2 p.m. game against Yale and a 6:30 p.m. nightcap against Boise State before closing out the tournament on Sunday against North Dakota and Boise State at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., respectively.

GCU is coming off of a 2-3 showing at the 2019 Campbell/Cartier Classic hosted by San Diego State. The Lopes fell in three-straight games to UC Santa Barbara, Middle Tennessee and Northern Illinois before shutting out San Diego State, 8-0, and edging UC Santa Barbara, 3-2, in the tournament finale.

Shea Smith led the Lopes offense on the weekend, as the senior shortstop hit .525 (9-17) with three doubles, three runs and an RBI. Smith tallied a team-best slugging percentage of .607 and an on-base percentage of .556.

GCU vs Michigan State
Game Details	Friday, Feb. 22 \| 5:30 p.m. (MT) \| Phoenix, Ariz. \| GCU Softball Stadium
Game Coverage	Live Stats \| Watch
GCU Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule \| Notes
MSU Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule

GCU vs North Dakota
Game Details	Friday, Feb. 22 \| 7:30 p.m. (MT) \| Phoenix, Ariz. \| GCU Softball Stadium
Game Coverage	Live Stats \| Watch
GCU Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule \| Notes
UND Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule

GCU vs Yale
Game Details	Saturday, Feb. 23 \| 2:00 p.m. (MT) \| Phoenix, Ariz. \| GCU Softball Stadium
Game Coverage	Live Stats \| Watch
GCU Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule \| Notes
Yale Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule

GCU vs Boise State
Game Details	Saturday, Feb. 23 \| 6:30 p.m. (MT) \| Phoenix, Ariz. \| GCU Softball Stadium
Game Coverage	Live Stats \| Watch
GCU Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule \| Notes
Boise State Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule

GCU vs North Dakota
Game Details	Sunday, Feb. 24 \| 11:00 a.m. (MT) \| Phoenix, Ariz. \| GCU Softball Stadium
Game Coverage	Live Stats \| Watch
GCU Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule \| Notes
UND Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule

GCU vs Boise State
Game Details	Sunday, Feb. 24 \| 1:00 p.m. (MT) \| Phoenix, Ariz. \| GCU Softball Stadium
Game Coverage	Live Stats \| Watch
GCU Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule \| Notes
Boise State Links	News \| Roster \| Schedule

2019 NOTABLES

Sierra Smith became the first player to hit a home run in a season opener for GCU since Kelsey Barak in 2015.
Savannah Tourville became the first freshman to homer in her GCU debut since Kelsey Barak in 2012.
Lexy Coons ranks seventh in the WAC in ERA (1.91) and fifth in strikeouts (18).
GCU's game vs. No. 4 Oklahoma drew the second most fans in program history with 1,312 fans in attendance.
GCU finished second at the WAC Tournament in New Mexico, falling to host New Mexico State in the final.
The Lopes ended the season with the No. 12 batting average in the country at .316, led by Sierra Smith's .392 mark. GCU turned the fifth-most double plays per game in Division I in 2018 with 0.58 per game.
The Lopes won 30 games or more for the third consecutive season in 2018 with 31 wins, and won 20 home games for the second consecutive year.
Sierra Smith ranked 20th and 24th in the country in hits and triples, respectively, in 2018. The infielder slapped 76 hits and five triples in her junior season.
Brianna Aguilar ranked first in the WAC in walks allowed per seven innings in 2018 with just 1.70 walks per seven.
The Lopes added two transfers from the ACC and Big 10 in Lilly Bishop (North Carolina State) and Ryan Denhart (Maryland). Bishop made 42 starts for the Wolfpack, including 34 behind the plate, and recorded 22 hits and five home runs. Denhart recorded the most strikeouts for a freshman since 2006 at Maryland in 2018.
GCU head coach Ann Pierson is 46 wins away from 500 career wins. The GCU skipper has seven 30-plus win seasons and two 40-plus win seasons.
The WAC expanded in 2019 with the addition of California Baptist. The Lopes are 5-7 against the Lancers all-time, but have won the last three meetings between the two schools.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Brianna Aguilar

Lilly Bishop

Lexy Coons

Ryan Denhart

Shea Smith

Sierra Smith

Savannah Tourville

Grand Canyon University Athletics