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 23
Phoenix, Ariz.
6 p.m.
Grand Canyon
vs
Pepperdine
Homestand wraps up with Pepperdine
3/22/2021 9:04:00 PM | Baseball
GCU enters midweek matchup on 5-game win streak
March 23-24 | Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark | Phoenix, Ariz. |
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PEPPERDINE
WAVES (7-10, 2-1)
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vs. |
GRAND CANYON
LOPES (9-9-1, 6-2)
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PITCHING PROBABLES |
| Tuesday, March 23 • 6 p.m. Live Stats • Watch RHP Trevor Franklin (0-0, 14.21)  vs.  RHP Dawson McCarville (0-1, 9.31) |
| Wednesday, March 24 • 2 p.m. Live Stats • Watch TBA  vs.  TBA |
With extended conference series creating a nontraditional season schedule, the Grand Canyon baseball team will play its first midweek series of the season when the Lopes welcome Pepperdine for two games on Tuesday and Wednesday.
First-pitch times are set for 6 p.m. and 2 p.m., respectively, and will be on GCUTV.
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THREE THINGS TO KNOW
- STANK'S WAVES: Lopes head coach Andy Stankiewicz will lead his Lopes team into competition against his alma mater for just the second time. Stankiewicz starred at Pepperdine from 1983 through 1986 and still ranks among the program's leaders in runs (sixth, 172), walks (seventh, 121) and stolen bases (third, 121). GCU and Pepperdine played twice in a weekend in Malibu in 2017 with the Waves claiming both matchups, including a 12-inning, 1-0 pitchers' duel. The programs have never officially met in Phoenix, although the teams did play a fall exhibition at Brazell Stadium in 2016. The Waves also played a neutral-site game against California at GCU Ballpark in 2019 as a part of the Angels College Classic.
 - TURN IT: In an effective combination of efforts between the Lopes' infield and pitching staff, GCU has turned the sixth-most double plays in the nation with 18 on the season. The Lopes turned five double plays in the four-game sweep of Seattle U last weekend. GCU was top 10 in the category last season as well.
 - YOUTH MOVEMENT: While GCU's top two hitters are seniors in Channy Ortiz and Brock Burton, over half of the Lopes' hits this season have come from the bats of underclassmen. Freshmen Elijah Buries (17), Ryland Zaborowski (14) and Jacob Wilson (13) and sophomore Tayler Aguilar (13) represent the Lopes' top underclassmen hitters. Buries and Aguilar each hit .500 in a weekend sweep of Seattle U.
SCOUTING
Pepperdine is leaving California for the first time this season. The Waves opened 2021 with series losses to California Baptist and UC Santa Barbara before bouncing back to split with UC Davis and winning their WCC-opening series against San Francisco.
The Waves are one of the nation's top 30 clubs with 23 home runs on the season. Sophomore infielder and Arizona native Ryan Johnson leads Pepperdine with six. On the flip side, the Waves' pitching has struggled in 2021 with a 6.36 staff ERA that ranks among the bottom 50 teams nationally.
Rick Hirtensteiner is in his sixth season as the Waves' head coach and 23rd year with the program. Pepperdine was hitting over .300 and off to a 12-3 start last season.
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WHAT'S NEXT
GCU and Tulane will meet for the first time ever, as the Lopes take advantage of their WAC bye week with a challenging nonconference opponent. The Lopes and Green Wave will play three games in New Orleans beginning on Friday.Â
For more GCU baseball news, notes and numbers, click here to view game notes and click here to view the media guide.
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Players Mentioned
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