Ohl named WAC Pitcher of Week again

Grand Canyon junior pitcher Pierson Ohl has thrown six complete games consecutively in conference play, earning wins each time. His latest effort earned him his second WAC Pitcher of the Week accolade on Monday.

Ohl moved from pitching on Saturday to the Friday-night, series-opening role against Dixie State. That was the only thing that changed for the right-hander. It was business as usual with seven innings of shutout work, limiting the Trailblazers to two hits and no walks while striking out six.

"It was one of those days where you just try to throw something and it was right where you want it," Ohl said. "It's easy to go out there when the offense is just murdering baseballs all game. I'm just thankful for them putting up runs."

GCU's offense made sure Ohl only had to work seven innings to earn the complete game, scoring 10 runs on 15 hits to force the mercy rule into play.

While beneficial to the Lopes' cause, the long offensive innings created a hurdle for Ohl.

"I honestly don't like sitting around so sometimes I do enjoy a four-pitch, five-pitch inning for the other pitcher because it gets me out there," Ohl said. "I told (senior catcher) David (Avitia) that was going to be the challenge today. I had to stay focused through those long innings that we were just putting up runs. I know late in the year, those runs are going to be needed and I'm going to have to be able to go out and shut down the next innings. That was my challenge today, and I thought I did that pretty well."

Ohl took a perfect game into the sixth inning, retiring the first 15 Dixie State batters he faced. It was a soft line drive to shallow right-center field that broke up Ohl's effort to toss the first perfect game in program history.

"I threw a few good pitches and those were the hits," Ohl said. "It's baseball. Sometimes they hit line drives right at people, sometimes it's a broken-bat single. Once I gave up the hit, everyone was all giggling and what not. So I knew they knew. But it was a good time on Friday night."

Ohl also allowed a leadoff single to begin the seventh, but the baserunner was erased following a double play. For the day, Ohl faced one over the minimum.

Ohl lowered his ERA to 2.42 on the season. He's half of a Lopes duo — along with freshman Carter Young's 1.75 — that leads the WAC in ERA. Ohl's 85 strikeouts also lead the conference. He continues to exhibit some of the best control in the country, ranking fourth in fewest walks per nine innings, fifth in strikeout-to-walk ratio and sixth in WHIP.

Now co-leaders in the WAC, GCU wraps up its road schedule with a four-game series at Tarleton beginning on Friday afternoon.

GCU Lopes · Baseball vs. Dixie State (Game 1) - Postgame with Pierson Ohl

Grand Canyon University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Pierson Ohl

Carter Young

Related Videos