GCU Classic brings CSUN, Fordham

Friday, February 21

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

CSUN

Tickets

Photo by: Elizabeth Tinajero

2/20/2020 2:20:00 PM | Baseball

GCU Games Notes GCU Media Guide

Lopes look to build off 3-1 start

By: Jerob Moon

Feb. 21-23 \| Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark \| Phoenix, Ariz.

	CSUN MATADORS (4-0) FORDHAM RAMS (1-3)	at	(27) GRAND CANYON LOPES (3-1)

PITCHING PROBABLES

Game 1 vs. CSUN
Friday, Feb. 21 • 6 p.m.
GCUTV • Live Stats

RHP [SO] Blake Sodersten (1-0. 0.00) vs. RHP [SR] Kade Mechals (1-0. 1.80)

Game 2 vs. Fordham
Saturday, Feb. 22 • 6 p.m.
GCUTV • Live Stats

RHP [JR] John Stankiewicz (0-1, 2.25) vs. RHP [SO] Pierson Ohl (0-1, 4.70)

Game 3 vs. CSUN
Sunday, Feb. 22 • 10 a.m.
GCUTV • Live Stats

RHP [R-SR] Daniel Vasquez (0-0. 3.86) vs. RHP [JR] Dawson McCarville (1-0, 3.18)

Game 4 vs. Fordham
Sunday, Feb. 23 • 2 p.m.
GCUTV • Live Stats

TBA vs. TBA

With a successful opening week in the books, Grand Canyon is set for its only four-game set of the season as it welcomes CSUN (4-0) and Fordham (1-3) to Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark for the GCU Classic. The Lopes will play both the Matadors and Rams on back-to-back nights and will conclude the weekend with a doubleheader on Sunday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The games will stream live on GCULopes.com and the Grand Canyon University channel on YouTube.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

LOPES RANKED: GCU began the year receiving votes in the Collegiate Baseball top-30 poll. An opening-weekend series victory over No. 22 Oklahoma State was enough to propel the Lopes into the top-30 poll at No. 27. GCU defended that ranking with a walk-off win over Oregon on Tuesday.
MECHALS LEADS NATION: Senior right-handed pitcher Kade Mechals enters Friday's start against CSUN as the nation's active D-I leader in career ERA with a mark of 2.04 (min. 75 IP). The McMinnville, Oregon, native began 2020 with a five-inning, eight-strikeout performance that earned him the win against Oklahoma State.
WACKY WALK-OFF: GCU walked off on a wild pitch against Oregon on Tuesday, and it took an interesting sequence of events to reach that point. After two quick outs were recorded, Channy Ortiz drew a walk to extend the inning. Juan Colato was hit by the next pitch, and Drew Smith reached first on a throwing error to load the bases. The only pitch that Brock Burton saw was in the dirt and bounced away from the catcher, allowing Ortiz to give the Lopes a walk-off win.

SCOUTING

CSUN has started off a hot 4-0 in the Dave Serrano era, sweeping San Francisco at home before taking down Washington State on Monday. Serrano will make his return to Brazell Field after bringing his Tennessee team to a GCU-hosted tournament in 2016. The Matadors have been strong on the mound to start the year, ranking 15th nationally with a 1.50 ERA and only three pitchers surrendering runs. Two-way player Jayson Newman has thrown an inning of scoreless relief and also went 3 for 3 with four RBIs in a Game 2 win over San Francisco.

Fordham has struggled out of the gates this year coming off a 38-win season and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament at the Morgantown Regional. The Rams picked up their first win of the season on Wednesday when they beat Long Island 3-0 at home after they were swept against Florida International in Miami to start the year. Fordham has a the most wins in college baseball history, and this will be the first matchup between the Rams and the Lopes in the programs' 10,361 combined games.

WHAT'S NEXT

GCU will hit the road for the first time this season, traveling to Stanford for a three-game series spanning Feb. 28 through March 1.

For more GCU baseball news, notes and numbers, click here to view game notes and click here to view the media guide.