WAC play returns to GCU Ballpark after long pause

Friday, May 7

Phoenix, Ariz.

6 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Dixie State

Tickets

5/6/2021 7:56:00 PM | Baseball

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Lopes rekindle D-II rivalry with Dixie State in 1st conference home games in 26 days

By: Josh Hauser

May 7-9 \| Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark \| Phoenix, Ariz.

	DIXIE STATE TRAILBLAZERS (15-26, 13-11 WAC)	vs.	GRAND CANYON LOPES (26-17-1, 19-5 WAC)

PITCHING PROBABLES

Friday, May 7 • 6 p.m.
Live Stats • Watch

RHP Dillon Holliday (3-1, 3.77) vs. RHP Pierson Ohl (6-1, 2.67)

Saturday, May 8 • 2 p.m.
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RHP Jimmy Borzone (2-4, 7.01) vs. RHP Carter Young (6-0, 1.99)

Saturday, May 8 • 5 p.m.
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RHP Brett Porthan (1-0, 5.92) vs. RHP Dawson McCarville (3-2, 3.51)

Sunday, May 9 • 1 p.m.
Live Stats • Watch

RHP Ryan Hardman (1-5, 10.21) vs. RHP Zach Barnes (4-5, 5.00)

A near one-month pause from conference games at home comes to an end this weekend as Grand Canyon hosts Dixie State for a four-game WAC series at Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark.

In the 26 days since wrapping a series against Northern Colorado, the Lopes have played two WAC road series separated by a bye weekend.

While GCU's four starting pitchers remain the same, the order has been adjusted with junior right-hander Pierson Ohl taking the ball on Friday night.

All four games will be streamed on GCUTV and the WAC Digital Network.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

SENIOR SUNDAY: The series finale will honor GCU's 15 seniors, a group that has combined to see action in 788 games in a Lopes uniform. Eight seniors started and finished their careers at GCU: Nick Hull, Brock Burton, Dane Stankiewicz, Channy Ortiz, David Avitia, Nate Gawelko, Coen Wynne and Jack Schneider. The other seven joined as transfers, ranging from one to three seasons as a Lope: Dawson McCarville, Zach Barnes, Brayden Merritt, Dominic Grissom, Frankie Scalzo, Keaton Glover and Grant South.
WAC STANDINGS: With just three weekends remaining, the conference race is rounding into form. In an adjusted formula for this season that weighs only the win column, California Baptist (21), Grand Canyon (19) and Sacramento State (17) are pacing the WAC. CBU finishes the season against the conference's third-, fourth- and second-place teams in Sacramento State, New Mexico State and GCU, respectively. Sac State only has two remaining conference series, meaning the Hornets have four fewer games to make up ground. The Lopes and Lancers conclude the regular season with four games in Phoenix that could decide the WAC regular-season title.
BURTON'S BAT: Lopes center fielder Brock Burton is coming off the best weekend of his career, winning WAC Hitter of the Week for the first time. The series at Sacramento State started with a three-hit, two-homer, six-RBI game for Burton and featured three more multi-hit games. Burton went 10 for 14 (.714) with 11 RBIs during the Lopes' big series win. It was an impressive turnaround for the senior after a 3-for-23 slump in mid-April.

SCOUTING

Dixie State enters the weekend riding the momentum of a four-game series sweep of in-state rival Utah Valley last weekend. The Trailblazers have not lost a conference series in their last three tries, splitting a weekend with league-leading California Baptist and winning a series against Tarleton.

The Trailblazers are in their first year of a four-year transition from Division II to Division I. Former members of the PacWest Conference, GCU and Dixie State played 53 times between 2007 and 2013 (about 7.5 times per year). This is the first weekend of back-to-back GCU matchups against D-I newcomers with a trip to Tarleton on the schedule next week.

Dixie State pitchers have struggled this season with an 8.70 ERA that checks in as last in the conference.

WHAT'S NEXT

The Lopes play their final two regular-season series with a trip to Tarleton, followed by the May 20-22 series against California Baptist at GCU Ballpark.

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