Completed Event: Baseball at Stanford on May 9, 2025 , Win , 4, to, 3
Baseball
at Stanford
W 4-3
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Tuesday, March 3
Phoenix, Ariz.
6 p.m.
Grand Canyon
7-5
5
vs
1
New Mexico
8-4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
New Mexico
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
3
Grand Canyon
0
0
0
0
0
1
4
0
X
5
8
0
Photo by: Cody Glenn/isiphotos.com
What a relief! Lopes 1-hit Lobos
3/3/2020 10:03:00 PM | Baseball, Paul Coro
Schneider leads win; bullpen pitches 4 perfect innings
If Grand Canyon's pitching was not so great Tuesday night at GCU Ballpark, the hitting would have been heralded more.
If the Lopes' offense had not produced so well, the fielding would have been praised more.
If the GCU defense had not been perfect, the pitching could have been tested more.
The Lopes instead were a triple threat to beat New Mexico 5-1 with the program's first one-hitter on Brazell Field since 2010.
GCU (7-5) recorded a one-hitter for the third consecutive season but did it at home for the first time in a decade with five fine innings from junior starter Jack Schneider and four relievers each tossing a perfect inning.
Schneider's move from Sunday starter last season to midweek starter for prominent games this season has bolstered GCU's staff but the Lopes bullpen has been magnificent so far under first-year pitching coach Blake Hawksworth.
GCU relievers have a 1.28 ERA in 49 1/3 innings this season. On Tuesday, a New Mexico team that averaged 8.3 runs in its previous four-game series against BYU only could muster a third-inning double before having its final 15 batters retired in order.
"Jack made really big pitches and got big outs when we needed them," Lopes head coach Andy Stankiewicz said. "Our relievers just keep pounding the zone and throwing breaking balls for strikes. It's fun to watch those guys work. They work fast and have good tempo. They've created their own little team down there, which is cool to see. Everybody is pulling for each other and everybody's excited about everybody's success. I couldn't be more happy with what our relievers have done."
GCU's pitching (staff 2.29 ERA) and fielding (fourth error-free game) have been steady this season but the offense needed a boost. The Lopes reached base in the first five innings without scoring but broke through in the bottom of the sixth inning, when sophomore first baseman C.J. Schauwecker sent the first pitch from reliever Jack Murano to the right-center field wall for a one-run double that tied the game at 1-1.
Schauwecker entered the game with one bat this season and five career hits but broke out with a 3-for-4 game, including another RBI on a two-out single in the seventh inning that closed the scoring at 5-1.
"It was a good feeling," Schauwecker said. "You practice so much and sometimes you don't get your opportunity. But when you get your opportunity, you have to make the most of it and I'm glad I did.
Schauwecker also doubled last season against New Mexico (8-4) but this one carried more weight after earning the coaching staff's respect with patient, quiet dedication in practices.
The Pinnacle High School product from nearby Cave Creek learned of the start just before the game and his parents hustled to GCU Ballpark to see it.
"It's cool to see a young man who never moped or whined," Stankiewicz said. "He just waited for his shot and stepped up in a big way for us."
The game was tied at 1-1 until GCU's four-run seventh inning that opened with junior shortstop Channy Ortiz's walk and junior left fielder Juan Colato reaching on an error. Smith, who is second on the team in hitting, moved Ortiz and Colato into scoring position with a perfect sacrifice bunt.
"He came to me afterward and said, 'Coach, I can bunt,' " Stankiewicz said. "Sacrifice bunting is a want-to and a desire to get a job done and have a great team at bat."
Freshman Tayler Aguilar was a mid-game replacement and used his second at bat to score Ortiz and Colato on a single up the middle. Junior right-fielder Nate Gawelko followed with a RBI sacrifice fly for a 4-1 lead before Schauwecker's second RBI hit.
Juniors Cole Hoskins, Zach Barnes and Frankie Scalzo and sophomore Brodie Cooper-Vassalakis each set down the Lobos in order for an inning with Barnes handling his work in six pitches. Barnes and Scalzo have not allowed an earned run this season.
"I got through five and I knew, with those guys coming out, that they'd keep passing the baton," said Schneider, who threw six of GCU's eight strikeouts. "They've been doing it all year. They all come in and pound the zone. They all have strikeout stuff and it's fun to watch."
The defense backed it up with Burton slamming his body into the new outfield wall padding for a fantastic second-inning catch, junior catcher David Avitia squashing a first-inning rally by throwing out a base-stealer, Ortiz handling shortstop reliably and senior Dane Stankiewicz entering the game late and making a step-back, spinning save at first base in the ninth.
"That's who we've got to be – play great defense and be opportunistic on offense," Stankiewicz said.
The Lopes and Lobos conclude the two-game series with a 2 p.m. game at GCU Ballpark, where GCU improved to 6-3 on the season with Tuesday's win.
 Â
Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
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If the Lopes' offense had not produced so well, the fielding would have been praised more.
If the GCU defense had not been perfect, the pitching could have been tested more.
The Lopes instead were a triple threat to beat New Mexico 5-1 with the program's first one-hitter on Brazell Field since 2010.
GCU (7-5) recorded a one-hitter for the third consecutive season but did it at home for the first time in a decade with five fine innings from junior starter Jack Schneider and four relievers each tossing a perfect inning.
Schneider's move from Sunday starter last season to midweek starter for prominent games this season has bolstered GCU's staff but the Lopes bullpen has been magnificent so far under first-year pitching coach Blake Hawksworth.
GCU relievers have a 1.28 ERA in 49 1/3 innings this season. On Tuesday, a New Mexico team that averaged 8.3 runs in its previous four-game series against BYU only could muster a third-inning double before having its final 15 batters retired in order.
"Jack made really big pitches and got big outs when we needed them," Lopes head coach Andy Stankiewicz said. "Our relievers just keep pounding the zone and throwing breaking balls for strikes. It's fun to watch those guys work. They work fast and have good tempo. They've created their own little team down there, which is cool to see. Everybody is pulling for each other and everybody's excited about everybody's success. I couldn't be more happy with what our relievers have done."
GCU's pitching (staff 2.29 ERA) and fielding (fourth error-free game) have been steady this season but the offense needed a boost. The Lopes reached base in the first five innings without scoring but broke through in the bottom of the sixth inning, when sophomore first baseman C.J. Schauwecker sent the first pitch from reliever Jack Murano to the right-center field wall for a one-run double that tied the game at 1-1.
Schauwecker entered the game with one bat this season and five career hits but broke out with a 3-for-4 game, including another RBI on a two-out single in the seventh inning that closed the scoring at 5-1.
"It was a good feeling," Schauwecker said. "You practice so much and sometimes you don't get your opportunity. But when you get your opportunity, you have to make the most of it and I'm glad I did.
Schauwecker also doubled last season against New Mexico (8-4) but this one carried more weight after earning the coaching staff's respect with patient, quiet dedication in practices.
The Pinnacle High School product from nearby Cave Creek learned of the start just before the game and his parents hustled to GCU Ballpark to see it.
"It's cool to see a young man who never moped or whined," Stankiewicz said. "He just waited for his shot and stepped up in a big way for us."
The game was tied at 1-1 until GCU's four-run seventh inning that opened with junior shortstop Channy Ortiz's walk and junior left fielder Juan Colato reaching on an error. Smith, who is second on the team in hitting, moved Ortiz and Colato into scoring position with a perfect sacrifice bunt.
"He came to me afterward and said, 'Coach, I can bunt,' " Stankiewicz said. "Sacrifice bunting is a want-to and a desire to get a job done and have a great team at bat."
Freshman Tayler Aguilar was a mid-game replacement and used his second at bat to score Ortiz and Colato on a single up the middle. Junior right-fielder Nate Gawelko followed with a RBI sacrifice fly for a 4-1 lead before Schauwecker's second RBI hit.
Juniors Cole Hoskins, Zach Barnes and Frankie Scalzo and sophomore Brodie Cooper-Vassalakis each set down the Lobos in order for an inning with Barnes handling his work in six pitches. Barnes and Scalzo have not allowed an earned run this season.
"I got through five and I knew, with those guys coming out, that they'd keep passing the baton," said Schneider, who threw six of GCU's eight strikeouts. "They've been doing it all year. They all come in and pound the zone. They all have strikeout stuff and it's fun to watch."
The defense backed it up with Burton slamming his body into the new outfield wall padding for a fantastic second-inning catch, junior catcher David Avitia squashing a first-inning rally by throwing out a base-stealer, Ortiz handling shortstop reliably and senior Dane Stankiewicz entering the game late and making a step-back, spinning save at first base in the ninth.
"That's who we've got to be – play great defense and be opportunistic on offense," Stankiewicz said.
The Lopes and Lobos conclude the two-game series with a 2 p.m. game at GCU Ballpark, where GCU improved to 6-3 on the season with Tuesday's win.
 Â
Follow Paul Coro on Twitter: @paulcoro.
Â
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Barnes, Zach (2-0)
L: MURANO, Jack (0-1)
Batting:
2B: WATARI, Justin 1
RBI: LANDERS, Kyle 1
SH: SCHNEIDER, Adam 1
SF: LANDERS, Kyle 1
Base Running:
RUNS: WATARI, Justin 1
CS: LANDERS, Kyle 1
HBP: THOMAS-RIVERA, Kemue 1
Batting:
2B: Schauwecker, C.J. 1
RBI: Aguilar, Tayler 2 ; Gawelko, Nate 1 ; Schauwecker, C.J. 2
SH: Smith, Drew 1 ; Gawelko, Nate 1
SF: Gawelko, Nate 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ortiz, Channy 1 ; Colato, Juan 1 ; Burton, Brock 1 ; Aguilar, Tayler 2
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
0
H
3
RBI
2
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
2
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
UTIL
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
INF
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