Lopes hit road for 4 weekend games


Grand Canyon Lopes (2-4)	at	San Diego Toreros (0-2)	UC San Diego Tritons (0-0)
		Saturday, Feb. 20 5 p.m. & 7 p.m.	Sunday, Feb. 21 1 p.m. & 3 p.m.
Game Notes		Live Stats	Live Video Live Stats

The Grand Canyon softball team hits the road for the first time this season as it travels to the San Diego area to take on San Diego and UC San Diego each in a doubleheader. GCU enters the weekend with more games under its belt than the Toreros or the Tritons. San Diego will be playing its third and fourth games of the season after opening Wednesday with two losses to San Diego State. The Lopes will be UC San Diego's season opener on Sunday.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

WAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Lopes junior left fielder Gianna Nicoletti earned the first WAC Player of the Week award for this season. Nicoletti hit .500 in the Lopes' first six games and totaled three mutli-hit games. Nicoletti leads the Lopes in on-base percentage (.625) and slugging percentage (.611).
FRESHMEN IMPACT: Shortstop Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage had a standout opening weekend. In her first collegiate game, she recorded a hit and to start her current six-game hit streak. She is second in batting (.381) and slugging (.476). The freshman also was perfect in the field. Infielder Daisy Taloa made five starts for the Lopes at third base, posting a .353 batting average with six hits and five runs scored. Fellow freshman Jacie Hambrick threw the most innings for GCU with 16.1. She has staff bests for strikeouts (10) and opponent batting average (.273).
TRAVEL: The San Diego trip will be an important event for GCU, as it is the only time the Lopes will travel this season before conference play.

SCOUTING

SAN DIEGO hit. 290 last season with seven home runs while opponents hit .262 and had a slugging percentage of .381. In the circle, the Toreros posted a team ERA of 3.14 with 124 strikeouts in 183 innings. In one of this season's opening two losses to San Diego State, sophomore Madison Earnshaw threw a complete game and did not give up an earned run while only allowing five hits. Freshman Amanda Limon went 2 for 4 with a triple. The Toreros return three key players, including third baseman Sophia Bjerk, who made 20 starts and hit .310 with five doubles, three triples and two home runs. Right-handed pitcher Madison Earnshaw returns to the circle for San Diego off a 2.75 ERA season last year. She logged the second-most innings (43.1). Hallie Kyler brings versatility to the Toreros lineup, as she pitches and plays the field. In 2020, she posted a .277 batting average with 10 RBIs. In the circle, she carried an ERA of 4.77 in four appearances, including one start.

UC SAN DIEGO went 21-8 last season and is making the transition from Division II to Division I as a member of the Big West Conference. The Triton posted a 1.75 ERA last season with 122 strikeouts in 196 innings. UCSD hit .311 with 47 doubles. Key UCSD returners include senior first baseman Sherriah Harrington, who posted a team-best .400 batting average, two home runs and 19 RBIs, and fellow senior Isabel Lavrov, who hit .349 and led the team in RBIs with 21. Left-handed pitcher Robyn Wampler was UCSD's ace last season with a 1.13 ERA. The senior led the team in innings pitched with 93.1 and had a record of 11-3. In 344 batters faced, Wampler struck out 69 and gave up 67 hits.

LAST TIME OUT
GCU hosted the Utah in its season opener. The Lopes and the Utes went into extras at 1-1 before a wild eighth inning left Utah with a 6-5 win.

The Lopes hosted the GCU Kickoff Classic on Feb. 12-14, facing No.10 Oregon, Montana and Weber State.

GCU was 2-4 in the opening games, defeating Weber State 8-2 for its first win on Friday and prevailing again Saturday with a run-rule win over Montana.

WHAT'S NEXT

The Lopes host the GCU Purple Classic beginning on Feb. 26. The Lopes welcome Portland State, Iowa State, New Mexico and Oklahoma to GCU Softball Stadium.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage

Jacie Hambrick

Gianna Nicoletti

Daisy Taloa

Grand Canyon University Athletics