GCU returns home to host CSUN

March 8-9 \| Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark \| Phoenix, Ariz.

	CSUN MATADORS (6-4)	vs.	GRAND CANYON LOPES (7-4, 3-0 WAC)

PITCHING PROBABLES

Tuesday, March 8 • 6 p.m.
Live Stats • Watch
RHP Blaine Traxel (2-1, 4.05) vs. RHP Hunter Omlid (0-0, 5.87)

Wednesday, March 9 • 2 p.m.
Live Stats • Watch
TBA vs. RHP Blake Reilly (0-0, 18.00)

Returning home after a 6-2 stretch of road games, the Grand Canyon baseball brings a five-game win streak into a five-game homestand beginning with a two-game midweek set against CSUN on Tuesday and Wednesday.

All five games will be streamed on ESPN+.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

RANK IT: With three weeks of baseball in the books, the NCAA released RPI rankings for the first time. The Lopes winning record amid a challenging schedule was rewarded with a No. 36 ranking. Utah Valley (73) and Abilene Christian (85) also represent the WAC in the top 100. GCU's next two opponents — CSUN and San Diego — rank 39 and 123, respectively.
BUSH'S BURST: Sophomore Homer Bush Jr. has carved out a role of late atop GCU's batting order and holding things down in center field. He leads the Lopes with 18 hits and is second with a .360 batting average. In the Lopes' most recent contest — a 19-3 thrashing of California Baptist on Sunday — Bush recorded the first five-hit game by a GCU batter this season. The last five-hit game by a GCU batter that did not come in an extra-inning affair was from Cuba Bess on May 17, 2019, at Sacramento State.
PITCHING PRODUCTION: Since a rough second game of 2022, GCU's pitching staff has compiled a 2.69 ERA in its last nine games, allowing no more than three earned runs. Lopes pitching has controlled the strike zone, ranking 14th nationally in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.97) and 17th in fewest walks per nine innings (2.75).

SCOUTING

CSUN has its eyes set on a successful farewell tour for retiring head coach Dave Serrano, a well-known head coach who is in his 16th season leading a program. He is approaching 500 wins accumulated at UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton, Tennessee and CSUN.

Like the Lopes, the Matadors have compiled a challenging nonconference schedule and have already logged a pair of top-25 victories. CSUN claimed one win apiece in three-game sets at No. 22 UCLA and No. 2 Stanford. Sandwiched between those difficult series was a four-game sweep of Pacific at home.

CSUN played a conference-only schedule, per Big West rules, in 2021 and went 21-19.

The Matadors have hit .252 and hold a 4.19 ERA with the backdrop of having played one of the nation's 50 toughest schedules (one spot behind GCU at No. 46).

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Lopes already get a weekend off of WAC play, welcoming in San Diego for a three-game set beginning on Friday at 6 p.m.

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

March 8-9 | Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark | Phoenix, Ariz.

vs.

PITCHING PROBABLES

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

SCOUTING

WHAT'S NEXT?

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Homer Bush Jr.

Hunter Omlid

Blake Reilly

Grand Canyon University Athletics