Lopes meet Tritons in final game before WAC play

Tuesday, March 1 \| Triton Ballpark \| La Jolla, Calif.

	UC SAN DIEGO TOREROS (6-3)	vs.	GRAND CANYON LOPES (3-4)

PITCHING PROBABLES

Tuesday, March 1 • 7 p.m. (Phoenix time)
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LHP Austin Smith vs. RHP Blake Reilly

In its second midweek matchup of the season, Grand Canyon will travel to UC San Diego for a Tuesday night game against the Tritons. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. (Phoenix time) in GCU's final competition before WAC play begins Friday.

GCU junior right-hander Blake Reilly is set to make his first collegiate start. He'll be opposed by UCSD freshman left-hander Austin Smith, making his second college start.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

PITCHING HEATS UP: In its last five games, the Lopes pitching staff compiled a 2.93 ERA and recorded wins over Nevada, No. 11 Arizona and UC Irvine. Sophomore lefty Connor Markl is to credit for 10 of the 43 innings, earning a start at Arizona last Tuesday and a relief appearance at UC Irvine on Sunday. His sparkling 0.90 ERA earned him WAC Pitcher of the Week honors.
TOURNAMENT FLAVOR: Seven games into the season, GCU still has not faced an opponent that was not represented in the 2021 NCAA tournament field. While that fact will finally change on Tuesday, the level of competition does not let up. GCU's next two opponents — UC San Diego and California Baptist — were ineligible for postseason play last year because they are transitioning Division I members. Both were among the top programs at the Division II level and each participated in the D-II NCAA tournament in the latest opportunity.
NEW ON THE SCENE: While sophomore infielder Elijah Buries is doing his thing atop the Lopes' hitting leaderboard (.438 average with a WAC-best 14 hits), a new face has joined him in fellow sophomore Homer Bush Jr. The Southlake, Texas, native used his freshman year as a developmental season, only appearing in six games before having a breakout summer in the Appalachian League. He has parlayed that into early-season success for GCU, earning the opening-day start in the outfield and holding down the role of center fielder of late. Alongside Buries, Bush is one of two Lopes to already have 10 hits. He was kept out of the hit column in the season opener but is on a six-game hit streak since then.

SCOUTING

UC San Diego is in its second season of a four-year transition from D-II to D-I status, but it comes as no surprise that the successful D-II program has had no issue with the promotion. For its maiden voyage in the challenging Big West Conference last year, the Tritons finished 21-19, good for a fourth-place tie in the 11-team league.

The Tritons look poised for more success this season, having already collected three wins against Pac-12 foes and six wins overall. UCSD won its first midweek battle at USC and split a four-game series with Washington last weekend. Those wins came on the heels of a 3-1 series victory over WAC peer Seattle U to open the season.

GCU and UCSD have posted similar numbers through a small sample size this season. The Lopes hit .279 while the Tritons hit .282. GCU's pitching staff features a 4.72 ERA while UCSD holds a 4.56.

The Tritons play a home game at 500-seat Triton Ballpark for the ninth time in 10 games this season.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Lopes open WAC play with a series featuring the reigning WAC co-champions. A three-game set with undefeated California Baptist spans Friday through Sunday in Riverside, California.

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

Tuesday, March 1 | Triton Ballpark | La Jolla, Calif.

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PITCHING PROBABLES

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

SCOUTING

WHAT'S NEXT?

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Elijah Buries

Homer Bush Jr.

Connor Markl

Blake Reilly

Grand Canyon University Athletics