GCU plays host to Northern Colorado

April 9-11 \| Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark \| Phoenix, Ariz.

	NORTHERN COLORADO BEARS (6-17, 2-10 WAC)	vs.	GRAND CANYON LOPES (14-13-1, 9-3 WAC)

PITCHING PROBABLES

Friday, April 9 • 6 p.m.
Live Stats • Watch

RHP Cooper Rust (0-1, 5.56) vs. RHP Zach Barnes (3-4, 4.58)

Saturday, April 10 • 2 p.m.
Live Stats • Watch

RHP Jacob Salim (1-3, 6.17) vs. RHP Pierson Ohl (3-1, 3.45)

Saturday, April 10 • 5 p.m.
Live Stats • Watch

RHP Dylan Bowers (1-1, 5.03) vs. RHP Dawson McCarville (0-2, 6.97)

Sunday, April 11 • 12 p.m.
Live Stats • Watch

RHP Sam Leach (2-3, 3.48) vs. RHP Carter Young (4-0, 1.59)

Returning to GCU Ballpark after back-to-back weekend series on the road, the Grand Canyon baseball team is set to host Northern Colorado for a four-game WAC set beginning on Friday.

All four games in the series will be streamed on GCU's YouTube, GCULopes.com/Watch, the WAC Digital Network and the GCU Lopes app.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

YOUTH MOVEMENT: GCU's underclassmen are making a noticeable impact early in their collegiate careers. The Lopes' three leading batters are freshman Elijah Buries, sophomore Tayler Aguilar and freshman Tyler Wilson. Freshmen and sophomores account for over half of GCU's 245 hits on the season. Buries' .388 average checks in at fourth in the WAC and 12th nationally among freshmen.
WAC AT HOME: The Lopes look to continue their impressive track record against conference foes in Phoenix. GCU has posted a 22-5-1 series record in conference play at Brazell Field since rejoining the conference in 2014. This season, GCU split a series with UT Rio Grande Valley before sweeping Seattle U in four games.
BALANCED ATTACK: When considering conference games only, GCU is the WAC's only school to rank in the top three in batting average and earned run average. The Lopes rank third in both categories with a .287 batting average and a 3.83 ERA. Sacramento State and New Mexico State rank higher in offense but not pitching. Conversely, California Baptist and UT Rio Grande Valley feature stronger ERAs but not better batting averages.

SCOUTING

Northern Colorado is taking part in its final season as members of the WAC. The Bears — which play most of their sports in the Big Sky Conference that does not sponsor baseball — will be moving their baseball affiliation to the Summit League beginning next year. Northern Colorado will help the Summit retain its automatic bid in the sport by pushing the conference to six members.

The Bears' six wins on the season have come against Colorado Christian (Division II, two wins), North Dakota State (two wins) and Utah Valley (two wins). UNC was swept in four-game WAC series against California Baptist and New Mexico State.

Despite their record, the Bears rank second in the WAC with a .276 team batting average and .452 slugging percentage. Opposite of its gaudy offensive numbers, Northern Colorado's pitching has struggled. The Bears' 6.69 team ERA ranks sixth in the conference, only ahead of D-I newcomers Tarleton and Dixie State.

Five of the seven latest meetings between the Lopes and Bears have not ended in nine innings. GCU has posted run-rule victories on four occasions, while a 2019 meeting in Phoenix went to extras and required a 10th-inning Lopes walkoff.

WHAT'S NEXT

GCU hosts Arizona on Tuesday at 6 p.m. for a televised game on FOX 10 Xtra and ESPN3 before heading to Las Cruces, New Mexico, for a weekend series at New Mexico State.

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

April 9-11 | Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark | Phoenix, Ariz.

vs.

PITCHING PROBABLES

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

SCOUTING

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Tayler Aguilar

Zach Barnes

Elijah Buries

Dawson McCarville

Pierson Ohl

Tyler Wilson

Carter Young

Grand Canyon University Athletics