Completed Event: Softball at San Diego State on April 17, 2026 , Win , 12, to, 3 , (5 inn.)
Softball
at San Diego State
W 12-3
Grand Canyon University Athletics
New-look program merges, moves quickly
2/9/2022 9:30:00 AM | Softball, Paul Coro
Hays' 1st GCU team gets aggressive with top returnees, 15 newcomers
With a roster defined by 15 new players and an all-new coaching staff, Grand Canyon softball could be excused for tempering expectations.
But the new Lopes softball era's style is more aggressive, and the roster is not so new to the game or even GCU. The top four hitters of last season's starting lineup and two pitchers of last season's rotation are joined by six experienced Division I transfers.
Lopes players, new and old, hopped on board with first-year head coach Shanon Hays about as fast as they will run the bases and cover the infield and outfield.
"We want them to believe that what we put in front of them is doable," said Hays, the winningest coach in Texas Tech history who is coming off a 99-30 run at Division II Oklahoma Christian. "If they go through the process that we put them through, we're going to get a lot better and be able to play at a national level."
When the season begins this weekend with five games at GCU Softball Stadium, the Lopes will have six returnees who feel as if they have played with their 15 new teammates. They made sure of that, organizing fall team dinners and functions that blended newcomers from 11 colleges and four high schools.
"This is probably the most excited I've ever been," said senior outfielder Gianna Nicoletti, the GCU's top returning hitter (.361) and the defending WAC stolen base champion (28). "We have a great group of girls. Everyone coming in has an amazing set of skills. The transition has been impeccably smooth.
"We have loved every minute of it and Coach Hays and the new coaching staff have been awesome. They fit like a glove right away. They want to do some super-great things with this program so we're really excited about it."
The Lopes will be defined by their speed and athleticism, but softball success is often dictated by pitching and defense. GCU shored up a defense that led the WAC in errors last season and returns senior Ryan Denhart's career 2.91 ERA with sophomore Jacie Hambrick's power and improved command in the circle.
The Lopes rotation was filled out with sophomore Kaila Eastburn, who went 20-3 last season for Texas junior college Vernon, and junior Ariel Thomspon, who posted a 1.97 ERA for North Texas last season but had her innings limited by arm issues that are now healthy.
"The first time I saw Kaila pitch was online two falls ago when she struck out five of the first six batters in a scrimmage against Oklahoma," Hays said.
That Oklahoma team had a backup catcher who transferred to GCU last fall to play for Hays. Senior Kinsey Koeltzow made 67 appearances at Oklahoma but will be a starter for the first time after playing behind U.S. national team catcher Kinzie Hansen with the national champion Sooners.
"Bringing Kinsey in with her experience and skill level is huge for us," Hays said. "We're counting on her to have a big year."
Hays also added power-hitting George Mason transfer Annie Villalobos at catcher, but Koeltzow figures to provide pop too.
Despite arriving in Phoenix last summer, Koeltzow said GCU felt like home instantly, helping a team of strangers form a bond in the fall.
"We trust each other so much," Koeltzow said. "It just clicked. There's no culture you're put into. You're creating your own. That's what I love so much about our team. We're ready to have a new name for GCU softball. Gritty and competitive."
The Lopes arguably have the most accomplished outfield in the WAC with Nicoletti and junior Kristin Fifield, last season's team leader in home runs (seven) and RBIs (33), returning and Utah State graduate transfer Stephanie Reed moving into center field. Reed hit eight home runs last season for the Aggies.
Even more power was added with first baseman Denae Chatman, a graduate transfer who started four seasons at Arizona State with 35 career home runs and a .592 slugging percentage.
"Denae was huge for us," Hays said. "She'll give us a lot of pop and experience in the middle of our lineup."
Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage, a starting shortstop as a freshman last season, moves to her natural position at second base to compete with Oklahoma State transfer Macee Barnes. Hays' shortstop at Oklahoma Christian, sophomore Katelyn Dunckel, shores up the defense there with either returnee Savannah Tourville, last season's on-base percentage leader (.458), or junior college transfer Hannah Burnett, a speedy slap hitter, at third base.
"The overall strength of this team is our depth," Hays said. "We're solid at every position. I don't feel like we have any glaring weaknesses. If our pitching is good with the team we have, we'll be really good. And we think right now that we'll be solid in the circle. We run well. We're athletic. I think we'll be a fantastic base-running team."
Getting to know the new Lopes look will be helped by the schedule, which keeps GCU at home for all 26 nonconference games. The slate has been wiped clean from two consecutive losing seasons with a new mindset.
"It really fires me up," Nicoletti said. "Coach Hays has got a great game plan and he clearly knows what he's doing. Aggressiveness? I'm all about it.
"Even though it's not a contact sport, it can be really aggressive as far as how you approach batters, how you approach the pitcher, how you approach playing defense. You never want to be timid, as Coach Hays always says. He says, 'If you're going to make a mistake, go after it first,' because you normally don't make mistakes when you're super-aggressive."
Hays' words and 12 years of college softball coaching experience have the Lopes taking heed.
"It's been a piece of cake, honestly," Hays said of melding players from different directions. "As many years as I've coached, this has been such an easy group because they're all on the same page. Most of them are here for the same reasons. They're willing to buy into what we're doing and they enjoy what we're doing. If your team is having fun going through the process, you have to feel good."
But the new Lopes softball era's style is more aggressive, and the roster is not so new to the game or even GCU. The top four hitters of last season's starting lineup and two pitchers of last season's rotation are joined by six experienced Division I transfers.
Lopes players, new and old, hopped on board with first-year head coach Shanon Hays about as fast as they will run the bases and cover the infield and outfield."We want them to believe that what we put in front of them is doable," said Hays, the winningest coach in Texas Tech history who is coming off a 99-30 run at Division II Oklahoma Christian. "If they go through the process that we put them through, we're going to get a lot better and be able to play at a national level."
When the season begins this weekend with five games at GCU Softball Stadium, the Lopes will have six returnees who feel as if they have played with their 15 new teammates. They made sure of that, organizing fall team dinners and functions that blended newcomers from 11 colleges and four high schools.
"This is probably the most excited I've ever been," said senior outfielder Gianna Nicoletti, the GCU's top returning hitter (.361) and the defending WAC stolen base champion (28). "We have a great group of girls. Everyone coming in has an amazing set of skills. The transition has been impeccably smooth.
"We have loved every minute of it and Coach Hays and the new coaching staff have been awesome. They fit like a glove right away. They want to do some super-great things with this program so we're really excited about it."
The Lopes will be defined by their speed and athleticism, but softball success is often dictated by pitching and defense. GCU shored up a defense that led the WAC in errors last season and returns senior Ryan Denhart's career 2.91 ERA with sophomore Jacie Hambrick's power and improved command in the circle.
The Lopes rotation was filled out with sophomore Kaila Eastburn, who went 20-3 last season for Texas junior college Vernon, and junior Ariel Thomspon, who posted a 1.97 ERA for North Texas last season but had her innings limited by arm issues that are now healthy.
"The first time I saw Kaila pitch was online two falls ago when she struck out five of the first six batters in a scrimmage against Oklahoma," Hays said.
That Oklahoma team had a backup catcher who transferred to GCU last fall to play for Hays. Senior Kinsey Koeltzow made 67 appearances at Oklahoma but will be a starter for the first time after playing behind U.S. national team catcher Kinzie Hansen with the national champion Sooners."Bringing Kinsey in with her experience and skill level is huge for us," Hays said. "We're counting on her to have a big year."
Hays also added power-hitting George Mason transfer Annie Villalobos at catcher, but Koeltzow figures to provide pop too.
Despite arriving in Phoenix last summer, Koeltzow said GCU felt like home instantly, helping a team of strangers form a bond in the fall.
"We trust each other so much," Koeltzow said. "It just clicked. There's no culture you're put into. You're creating your own. That's what I love so much about our team. We're ready to have a new name for GCU softball. Gritty and competitive."
The Lopes arguably have the most accomplished outfield in the WAC with Nicoletti and junior Kristin Fifield, last season's team leader in home runs (seven) and RBIs (33), returning and Utah State graduate transfer Stephanie Reed moving into center field. Reed hit eight home runs last season for the Aggies.
Even more power was added with first baseman Denae Chatman, a graduate transfer who started four seasons at Arizona State with 35 career home runs and a .592 slugging percentage."Denae was huge for us," Hays said. "She'll give us a lot of pop and experience in the middle of our lineup."
Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage, a starting shortstop as a freshman last season, moves to her natural position at second base to compete with Oklahoma State transfer Macee Barnes. Hays' shortstop at Oklahoma Christian, sophomore Katelyn Dunckel, shores up the defense there with either returnee Savannah Tourville, last season's on-base percentage leader (.458), or junior college transfer Hannah Burnett, a speedy slap hitter, at third base.
"The overall strength of this team is our depth," Hays said. "We're solid at every position. I don't feel like we have any glaring weaknesses. If our pitching is good with the team we have, we'll be really good. And we think right now that we'll be solid in the circle. We run well. We're athletic. I think we'll be a fantastic base-running team."
Getting to know the new Lopes look will be helped by the schedule, which keeps GCU at home for all 26 nonconference games. The slate has been wiped clean from two consecutive losing seasons with a new mindset.
"It really fires me up," Nicoletti said. "Coach Hays has got a great game plan and he clearly knows what he's doing. Aggressiveness? I'm all about it.
"Even though it's not a contact sport, it can be really aggressive as far as how you approach batters, how you approach the pitcher, how you approach playing defense. You never want to be timid, as Coach Hays always says. He says, 'If you're going to make a mistake, go after it first,' because you normally don't make mistakes when you're super-aggressive."
Hays' words and 12 years of college softball coaching experience have the Lopes taking heed.
"It's been a piece of cake, honestly," Hays said of melding players from different directions. "As many years as I've coached, this has been such an easy group because they're all on the same page. Most of them are here for the same reasons. They're willing to buy into what we're doing and they enjoy what we're doing. If your team is having fun going through the process, you have to feel good."
Players Mentioned
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