GCU clinches outright title, series win

Saturday, May 14

Las Cruces, N.M.

1 p.m. MST

Grand Canyon

35-17, 21-5

New Mexico State

18-29, 8-18

Grand Canyon

New Mexico State

5/14/2022 4:59:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Avitia throws 7 innings, breaks program's freshman strikeout record

By: Josh Hauser

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — On Friday, Grand Canyon clinched another WAC regular-season title. On Saturday, they ensured no other West Division team could share that claim.

The Lopes defeated New Mexico State 9-4 to clinch a series win and improve to 21-5 in WAC play. GCU will win the outright regular-season title in the WAC's West Division.

In doing so, GCU freshman right-hander Daniel Avitia broke the program's record for strikeouts by a freshman. Avitia added eight to his season tally which now stands at 95, surpassing a 68-year old program record held by Al Knox from the 1954 season.

"He gave up three early," Lopes head coach Andy Stankiewicz. "He did a great job of just saying, 'Okay, let me get back to my game.' He knows he was leaving some balls up. He's so aggressive in the strike zone. A team that's aggressive like (New Mexico State) is, you're going to get hit a little bit. Part of his development is understanding when to go back into the strike zone and when to go off."

The Aggies struck for three runs on three hits in the first inning but only scored one additional run in the final eight innings.

"When he got hit, you could tell his demeanor changed," Stankiewicz said. "He was like, 'Okay, enough of this. It's time to go back to work.' That was the most encouraging thing. It's been awhile since he's been hit like that. He bounced back and took the ball and said let's go. That's not easy to do for a freshman. He got back to his game."

Avitia tossed seven innings and allowed four runs, striking out eight and walking one. He won for the seventh time this season.

Junior righty Blake Reilly closed out the game with two innings of hitless and scoreless relief.

Lopes sophomore shortstop Jacob Wilson ensured GCU's deficit would be short-lived. The Lopes worked exclusively with two outs in the third inning. Sophomore second baseman Elijah Buries drew a walk and senior designated hitter Juan Colato hit a single. Wilson cleaned things up with his 11th home run of the year.

"This team has been pretty resilient," Stankiewicz said. "We started to do that again very well. Jacob Wilson with the big homer to tie it up. Then it's like, 'Okay, here we go. Now we've got a seven-inning ballgame. We're all tied up.' We've been able to weather those storms pretty good. It's not something you necessarily want to do a lot. But the fact is we've done a nice job.

"The game isn't easy. You're not always going to be out in front. You've got to keep pressing, keep pushing forward."

After the 3-3 tie, GCU outscored New Mexico State 6-1 the rest of the way.

Sophomore first baseman Tyler Wilson opened the fourth inning with the second of his four hits on the day. Junior catcher Josh Buckley continued his torrid delayed start to the year, doubling to put a pair of runners in scoring position. Sophomore center fielder Homer Bush Jr. gave GCU the lead with a sacrifice fly.

GCU added four in a busy sixth inning. Tyler Wilson smashed a homer to straightaway center, scoring a pair and putting GCU in front 6-3. Buries and Colato did what they do by singling to drive in runs.

The scoring concluded in the seventh when Buckley doubled to score Tyler Wilson. Seven of GCU's 12 hits came from the No. 6 and 7 batters in Tyler Wilson and Buckley.

The Lopes and Aggies conclude the three-game series at 11 a.m. (Phoenix time) in GCU's final regular-season road game.