#SummerLopes: June 24

The #SummerLopes Tracker is a bi-weekly feature on GCULopes.com tracking the performances of GCU baseball players in their summer baseball action throughout the country.

Summer baseball is in full swing and several Lopes are out to hot starts. A pair of GCU newcomers are showing out while pitching continues to be a high point.

For a full list of where the Lopes are stationed this summer, click here.

Three Stars

	Drew Smith High Point-Thomasville HiToms, Coastal Plain League Lopes fans may want to get accustomed quickly to this new name. An incoming junior from Northeast College (Neb.), Smith earned National Junior College Athletic Association All-American honors in 2019. This summer, Smith ranks second on his club with a .324 batting average to go along with four extra-base hits, nine RBIs and eight runs scored.
	Pitching, Pitching, Pitching GCU's 11 pitchers playing summer ball have combined to go 10-3 with a 2.85 ERA in 107 1/3 innings this summer. Coen Wynne (Bend, West Coast) has five relief appearances under his belt and has yet to allow a run, striking out nine and surrendering just two hits in 6 1/3 innings. Pierson Ohl (San Luis Obispo, California) has struck out 16 in 13 innings of work and features a 1.38 ERA. Zach Barnes (Ridgefield, West Coast) has started three games where he is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA through 20 innings of work. Brodie Cooper-Vassalakis (Corvallis, West Coast) is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA through 12 innings of work. Frankie Scalzo (Port Angeles, West Coast) has been used three times as a starter and twice out of the 'pen, going 2-1 with a 2.12 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 17 innings.
	David Avitia Orleans Firebirds, Cape Cod League Avitia's defensive ability behind the plate has long been known to those watching GCU games. But Avitia is expanding his notoriety across the country in the Cape Cod: "I've been around the college ranks for the past eight years and there's no doubt in my mind he's the best catcher I've seen. I'm awestruck by what he does with pitches low in the zone." - Orleans pitching coach Mathew Troupe. The Lopes backstop was credited by the Firebirds' pitching staff for his role in catching another shutout. His bat began to come around with a pair of hits on the week.

Other Headlines

West Coast takeover: The West Coast League, based largely in Washington and Oregon, is home to 11 Lopes this summer. There is a GCU representative on exactly half of the league's 12 teams.
Lopes to Elks: GCU players are especially making their presence known in Bend, Ore., where the local newspaper documents the GCU reunion some 880 miles away. Read more here.
Weaver power: Jonny Weaver flashed his ability to get on base consistently in his freshman campaign with the Lopes. During his summer in Ridgefield, Wash., Weaver has added some power with a pair of homers on the year.
Four is more: The West Coast isn't the only place that Lopes have teamed up for the summer. The Northwoods League's Mankato MoonDogs (Mankato, Minn.) boast the most GCU players with Cole Hoskins, Jack Schneider, Nick Hull and Cuba Bess reuniting.
Another new name: In addition to the aforementioned Smith, there's another Lopes newcomer to keep an eye on. Glendale Community College transfer pitcher Dawson McCarville is spending his summer in the Cape Cod League, teaming up with Avitia on the Orleans Firebirds. He made his summer debut in relief on Sunday, tossing 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

To keep up with the #SummerLopes as the action happens, follow @GCU_Baseball on Twitter.

Grand Canyon University Athletics

Three Stars

Other Headlines

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Players Mentioned

David Avitia

Zach Barnes

Cuba Bess

Brodie Cooper-Vassalakis

Cole Hoskins

Nick Hull

Pierson Ohl

Frankie Scalzo

Jack Schneider

Jonny Weaver

Coen Wynne

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