Ideal opening win tops No. 22 OSU

Friday, February 14

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

1-0

Oklahoma State

0-1

Oklahoma State

Grand Canyon

2/14/2020 11:08:00 PM | Baseball, Paul Coro

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Mechals delivers win; Smith knocks in 6 runs

By: Paul Coro

The ideal outline for a Grand Canyon baseball season opener included many of the expected things that happened Friday night: a huge crowd at GCU Ballpark, a quality start from Lopes ace Kade Mechals and a win against a top-25 program.

GCU went a step further to thrill 3,843 fans, the second-largest crowd in program history, and please its coaching staff. A Lopes lineup featuring six new starters and missing its top hitter exploded in a 10-3 victory over No. 22 Oklahoma State.

Mechals battled through 61 pitches over his first two innings to allow one run over five innings and get scoring support led by a dream debut from junior college transfer Drew Smith. Starting at second base, Smith went 3 for 5 with a home run, a double and six RBIs to pair up with fellow newcomer Juan Colato's three-hit, three-RBI performance.

"We truly believe that we can hang with anybody in the country," Mechals said. "We've been saying it from Day 1."

GCU recorded a win against a top-25 opponent for the fourth consecutive season but the program that has accumulated 69 wins over the past two seasons is aiming for more. The Lopes will get two more cracks at the Cowboys, a 2019 NCAA Super Regional team with a third-ranked class of newcomers, at 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.

"It's exciting," Lopes head coach Andy Stankiewicz said. "Now, it's a matter of keeping it together, staying focused and winning series. We've got to come back with great energy and focus. That's a great program. They're going to come out tomorrow and be ready to get after it so we have to be ready to compete. Our program is at a point now where we feel it's time to start winning series against big ballclubs."

Mechals' early tenacity set a tone for his club as he navigated through two-strike counts on 14 batters in the first three innings. He recorded his first five outs by strikeout but the cost was allowing a first-inning run and raising his pitch count. But after substituting shoulder workouts for summer ball, Mechals was strong enough to last five innings and turned more efficient as he went deeper with a new curveball being added to his four-pitch mix.

"I was getting ahead great and then I'd want to put them away so bad that I started overthrowing," said Mechals, who is now 12-1 at GCU. "Just a little immature on my part. I just need to take a deep breath and take one pitch at a time. Later on, I'll be way more efficient. Our offense, got to tip your cap to them. They put up runs and made it easier for me to go out and attack later in the game."

The Lopes offense responded to the 1-0 hole immediately with two runs in the bottom of the first despite Cuba Bess, honored on a preseason All-America third team, resting a minor hamstring issue.

Colato, a South Mountain Community College transfer, walked and stole second base in his first plate appearance to score when Smith, a transfer from Northeast Community College in Nebraska, singled. Smith later scored on a passed ball for a 2-1 lead after first baseman Nick Hansen singled.

The Lopes added three more runs in the second inning when the rally started with junior catcher David Avitia and junior shortstop Channy Ortiz delivering back-to-back singles, each coming with two strikes. After sophomore third baseman Johnny Weaver walked to load the bases, Colato plated one run on a fielder's choice before Smith smacked an off-speed pitch into left-center field for a two-run double and a 5-1 lead.

"All fall, he was really competitive," Stankiewicz said of Smith. "He's got a good approach. He doesn't get flustered. He's got a really good demeanor where he doesn't let one at bat affect the next. That's maturity and that's what we were hoping to get."

Mechals finished efficiently, allowing three hits and one run over five innings, escaping a bases-loaded, third-inning jam when Smith handled a hot one-hopper to end it.

Colato stretched the lead to 7-1 in the third inning with a two-out, two-run single.

Smith applied the exclamation point in the eighth inning with his parents traveling from Nebraska to join his support group of 20 relatives and friends. GCU took a 10-3 lead when he sent a 2-0 fastball to 35th Avenue for a three-run home run. It capped the first GCU six-RBI game in an opener since 2004.

"I'm just glad we won," Smith said. "I had a good game too so that's the bonus on top.

"Honestly, this was an expectation coming in to beat a team like this. They're a great team and a great program. We've been working for that all fall and we expected it."

Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.