GCU clinches 4th WAC title in 5 seasons

Friday, May 13

Las Cruces, N.M.

5 p.m. MST

Grand Canyon

34-17, 20-5

New Mexico State

18-28, 8-17

Grand Canyon

New Mexico State

5/13/2022 9:04:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Buries' 6th-inning grand slam puts GCU in front for good

By: Josh Hauser

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Grand Canyon won its 20th conference game and clinched at least a share of the WAC West Division title with a 9-6 victory at New Mexico State on Friday night.

The Lopes (34-17, 20-5 WAC) have won six WAC regular-season crowns, including the last two and four of the last five. GCU has banners for the 1998, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2022 seasons.

While regular-season championships marked a season's crowning achievement in GCU years of the past, head coach Andy Stankiewicz and his club were business as usual following the win.

"The program is building to where that's not enough," Stankiewicz said. "I'm proud of what we've been able to accomplish, but we want to keep it moving. We have to stay on it and keep applying pressure and keep playing our game. A lot of times, it's the team that's playing well at the end. We can't be a team that's satisfied at this point. We just have to keep pushing, keep pushing, keep pushing. Be greedy for great baseball."

The only team capable of catching the Lopes in the standings is California Baptist, which sits 4 1/2 games back. The Lancers lost one of two games at Seattle U on Friday, setting up GCU's opportunity to clinch the division title in its weekend opener. CBU must win its last four games and have GCU lose its last five to share the title. The Lopes won the season series against the Lancers 5-1.

Lopes sophomore second baseman Elijah Buries delivered the big blow, hitting the first pitch he saw for a sixth-inning grand slam that turned a 6-3 deficit into a lead the Lopes didn't relinquish.

"Elijah jumped on a fastball," Stankiewicz said. "To his credit, he got the head out in front and got the momentum back on our side. Great job by him. That was one of the better swings he's taken all year. Hopefully, when you get a swing off like that, you can get that feeling what it's like to drive it to left field, and that could be something huge for him as we move forward."

GONE! LOPES LEAD! Grand slam for @EBuries. #LopesUp

🔼 6 | GCU 7, NMSU 6 pic.twitter.com/s0FDn1GJYG
— GCU Baseball (@GCU_Baseball) May 14, 2022

The Lopes missed an opportunity to add on in the seventh, stranding runners on second and third after consecutive strikeouts.

But GCU didn't miss its opportunity for insurance in the eighth. Sophomore center fielder Homer Bush Jr. singled to open the frame and Buries walked. Senior designated hitter Juan Colato singled through the right side to score a run, and sophomore shortstop Jacob Wilson reached on a fielder's choice to drive in another for the 9-6 lead.

"That's a good trait: a team that figures out a way," Stankiewicz said. "We punched early. They punched back. They jumped out by three and it's just, 'OK, let's start putting some good at bats together.' We did that."

GCU's relief corps of Brodie Cooper-Vassalakis, Eli Ankeney and Vince Reilly made the lead stick with 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Reilly earned his 11th save of the season, one off GCU's Division I record.

"The job that Brodie did and Eli did and Vince did, those guys have been our go-to guys in the bullpen," Stankiewicz said. "They did just exactly what they've been doing."

Wilson, who recently became the nation's toughest batter to strike out statistically, had a phenomenal day with the glove. Wilson gloved a ball that appeared destined to sneak through the left side of the infield and threw across his body to first baseman Tyler Wilson to open the seventh. To end the game, Jacob Wilson left his feet to snag a line drive that would've found the gap and scored a run.

"Jacob Wilson and his defense tonight was big," Stankiewicz said. "That backhand play he made to lead off the seventh inning. That last play of the game, line drive. Good thing he's 6-2 or 6-3. That was big."

Hull earned his sixth win of the season. He faced traffic on the bases for much of the night but found ways to get out of jams to keep GCU's early deficit manageable.

"Nick Hull is a veteran," Stankiewicz said. "He just finds ways to get out of jams. He has a slow heartbeat. He just figures out ways to minimize when he can. Great job by him."

GCU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first. Colato doubled and scored on a two-out single by junior right fielder Tayler Aguilar, who scored on another two-out single by Tyler Wilson.

After the Aggies took a 3-2 lead, GCU tied it on a two-out single by junior catcher Josh Buckley.

New Mexico State grabbed the lead back with a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth, but Buries sixth-inning grand slam quickly erased the deficit.

GCU pounded out 15 hits, including three from Colato and three from Tyler Wilson. Colato raised his batting average to .399 overall and .462 in conference play.

The first six batters in GCU's lineup had at least one RBI.

GCU and New Mexico State will continue the series on Saturday at 1 p.m. (Phoenix time).