Upcoming Event: Baseball versus MLB Desert Invitational on February 13, 2026
Baseball
vs MLB Desert Invitational
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: Charis Wilson
Lopes, Cotton named favorites
2/6/2019 10:00:00 AM | Baseball
GCU picked to win 3rd straight WAC title
A 39-9 conference record over the past two seasons has translated into preseason recognition for the Grand Canyon baseball team, which is picked to win its third consecutive WAC title in a poll of the conference's head coaches.
Reigning WAC Player of the Year Quin Cotton also was picked to repeat as the conference's top player. Coming off an All-WAC campaign in 2018, Pikai Winchester was named to the Preseason All-WAC team at third base.
The Lopes won the past two WAC regular-season titles and compiled a 39-9 record in the process, claiming a nation-leading 17 consecutive conference series. GCU's .813 winning percentage in WAC play over the past two years is the fifth-best mark in Division I baseball. The Lopes edged New Mexico State in the WAC preseason poll by one point.
Cotton became GCU's first Division I Preseason All-American when Perfect Game named him to its second team. He earned the nod as the WAC Preseason Player of the Year after a breakout sophomore campaign in which he hit .390 with 29 extra-base hits and 43 RBIs. It was the second consecutive season that a Lopes right fielder was named the conference's Player of the Year after Garrison Schwartz was honored in 2017.
Cotton's statistics flooded the national leaderboards last season to rank 14th in batting average (.390), 11th in hits (94) and 27th in runs per game (1.09).
Winchester is coming off a selection to the All-WAC first team at designated hitter in 2018. He finished fourth in batting average (.396), fourth in hits (38), fifth in runs scored (25) and fifth in RBIs (23) in an impressive all-around conference season.
The junior from Honolulu, Hawaii, had a nine-RBI weekend at Northern Colorado, where he hit his first GCU home run. Over the final regular-season series in Seattle, he went 9 for 13 (.692) and was named WAC Hitter of the Week.
The Lopes are in the final stages of preparation with the season just around the corner. The program will host its annual Alumni Game on Saturday before hosting Wichita State to open the season on Friday, Feb. 15, at 6 p.m.
Reigning WAC Player of the Year Quin Cotton also was picked to repeat as the conference's top player. Coming off an All-WAC campaign in 2018, Pikai Winchester was named to the Preseason All-WAC team at third base.
The Lopes won the past two WAC regular-season titles and compiled a 39-9 record in the process, claiming a nation-leading 17 consecutive conference series. GCU's .813 winning percentage in WAC play over the past two years is the fifth-best mark in Division I baseball. The Lopes edged New Mexico State in the WAC preseason poll by one point.
Cotton became GCU's first Division I Preseason All-American when Perfect Game named him to its second team. He earned the nod as the WAC Preseason Player of the Year after a breakout sophomore campaign in which he hit .390 with 29 extra-base hits and 43 RBIs. It was the second consecutive season that a Lopes right fielder was named the conference's Player of the Year after Garrison Schwartz was honored in 2017.
Cotton's statistics flooded the national leaderboards last season to rank 14th in batting average (.390), 11th in hits (94) and 27th in runs per game (1.09).
Winchester is coming off a selection to the All-WAC first team at designated hitter in 2018. He finished fourth in batting average (.396), fourth in hits (38), fifth in runs scored (25) and fifth in RBIs (23) in an impressive all-around conference season.
The junior from Honolulu, Hawaii, had a nine-RBI weekend at Northern Colorado, where he hit his first GCU home run. Over the final regular-season series in Seattle, he went 9 for 13 (.692) and was named WAC Hitter of the Week.
The Lopes are in the final stages of preparation with the season just around the corner. The program will host its annual Alumni Game on Saturday before hosting Wichita State to open the season on Friday, Feb. 15, at 6 p.m.
2019 Preseason Baseball Coaches Poll |
|||
| Rank | Team (First-place votes) | Points | |
| 1 |  |
Grand Canyon (5) | 75 |
| 2 |  |
New Mexico State (3) | 74 |
| 3 |  |
Sacramento State (2) | 69 |
| 4 |  |
Seattle U | 54 |
| 5 |  |
California Baptist | 37 |
 |
UT Rio Grande Valley | 37 | |
| 7 |  |
CSU Bakersfield | 35 |
| 8 |  |
Northern Colorado | 27 |
| 9 |  |
Utah Valley | 26 |
| 10 |  |
Chicago State | 12 |
2019 Baseball Preseason All-WAC Team |
|
| Position | Player, School |
| Catcher | Braden Williams, Sr., New Mexico State |
| First Base | Caleb Henderson, Sr., New Mexico State |
| Second Base | Nick Gonzales, So., New Mexico State |
| Third Base | Pikai Winchester, Sr., Grand Canyon |
| Third Base | Austin Lively, Jr., Seattle U |
| Shortstop | Joey Ortiz, Jr., New Mexico State |
| Outfield | Tristen Carranza, Sr., New Mexico State |
| Outfield | Quin Cotton, Jr., Grand Canyon |
| Outfield | Jack Pauley, Sr., Northern Colorado |
| Starting Pitcher | Jake Prizina, Sr., Seattle U |
| Starting Pitcher | Scott Randall, So., Sacramento State |
| Starting Pitcher | Brock Whittlesey, Sr., New Mexico State |
| Relief Pitcher | Tanner Dalton, Sr., Sacramento State |
2019 Baseball Conference Awards |
|
| Award | Player, School |
| Player of the Year | Quin Cotton, Jr., Grand Canyon |
| Pitcher of the Year | Brock Whittlesey, Sr., New Mexico State |
Players Mentioned
❌ 𝐧𝐨 𝐟𝐥𝐲 𝐳𝐨𝐧𝐞 ❌ Max Charles' diving grab
Friday, November 14
Dom goes DEEP at ASU in fall ball
Friday, November 14
GCU Baseball - WAC Tournament vs. Utah Tech - Highlights
Thursday, May 22
Baseball at Stanford - Barreras' game-winning double
Saturday, May 10