Upcoming Event: Baseball versus MLB Desert Invitational on February 13, 2026
Baseball
vs MLB Desert Invitational
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Friday, February 17
Scottsdale, Ariz. / Salt River Fields
1 p.m.
Grand Canyon
1-0
12
vs
4
UC San Diego
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1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Grand Canyon
2
3
1
0
0
0
3
3
0
12
16
1
UC San Diego
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
0
0
4
10
3
Stars shine in MLB Invitational win
2/17/2023 6:56:00 PM | Baseball
Wallis gets 1st win as head coach as Lopes win season opener
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Grand Canyon opened its 2023 season with a 12-4 win over UC San Diego at Salt River Fields on Friday.
Lopes first-year head coach Gregg Wallis didn't waste any time picking up his first victory as a head coach on a day when the Lopes offense tallied 12 runs on 16 hits and GCU's pitching shut out the Tritons in eight of nine innings.
As a part of the MLB Desert Invitational with the game being broadcast on MLB Network, all eyes were on GCU's two top-100 MLB Draft prospects in junior shortstop Jacob Wilson and junior outfielder Homer Bush Jr.
The duo delivered. Wilson racked up two hits and three RBIs before exiting the game after 3 1/2 innings as a precaution after diving into the stands hunting a foul ball. Bush went 3 for 4 with a triple, two runs, an RBI and a stolen base. Bush also made an impressive diving catch near the 410-foot, center-field wall in the fifth inning.
"That's got to be the biggest story," Wallis said. "All the eyes are on Jacob Wilson and Homer Bush Jr. Jacob goes 0-2 (count) in his first at bat of the year, fouls a ball off and then hits a wall-high line drive off the wall for a triple and gets a two-RBI knock. Homer had three hits, a triple, two stolen bases. With all eyes on them, they were able to focus. That's why they are who they are because they stayed focused, they made it about the team and their performances were outstanding today."
Postgame, Wilson decided that Wallis' first victory as a head coach was the bigger story. After being awarded player of the game honors by his teammates, Wilson turned and presented the symbolic helmet to Wallis.
"It was really exciting," Wallis said. "The guys came out and played really well. (Starting pitcher Zach) Thornton was awesome. Jacob, obviously early before he went Derek Jeter and dove into the stands, was having a huge game. I thought we did a lot of things really really well."
In his first Division I action, Zach Thornton was handed the ball in a nationally televised opening day start. The junior college transfer tossed 5 2/3 shutout innings, working around six hits, striking out six and walking none.
GCU wasted no time scratching across its first runs of the season, striking in the first inning. Lopes second baseman Zack Gregory, a graduate transfer from Arkansas, drew a walk and scored on Wilson's 0-2 triple that nearly left the yard. Jacob Wilson was scored by junior designated hitter Tyler Wilson who logged a two-strike, two-out single.
"They've been ready," Wallis said. "We've been saying it's a veteran group, so scrimmaging against each other for as long as we had to, I could tell these guys were ready. It was nice to come out and play well in our first one."
The Lopes tacked on three more runs in the second. Bush led the frame off with a single and later scored when junior right fielder Cade Verdusco singled. Jacob Wilson cleaned the inning up with a two-out, two-run single to stake the Lopes to a 5-0 lead.
In the third, Bush walked and later scored after stealing a base and scoring on a throwing error by the catcher.
GCU's lead continued to grow in the seventh. Freshman substitute shortstop Emilio Barreras doubled to lead off the inning and junior left fielder Elijah Buries singled to get a pair of runners in scoring position. Tyler Wilson and sophomore first baseman Eli Paton came through with GCU's third and fourth hits of the inning, both driving in runs. Redshirt freshman catcher John Sheehan pushed GCU's lead to 9-0 with a sacrifice fly to cap off the inning.
The Tritons struck for a big seventh inning to narrow the gap from 9-0 to 9-4. UC San Diego used three hits and four free passes to tally four runs. Lopes redshirt sophomore Carson Ohl came in and limited the damage with two shutout innings.
"The thing I was most proud about was, when one of our guys struggled, the other guys picked him up," Wallis said. "We had one bad inning but then Carson Ohl came in and picked up Maddox Thornton and then Verdusco and Gregory got a rally going the next inning to stop any momentum."
GCU quickly reversed momentum with a three-run eighth inning to reach the game's final margin. Verdusco, Gregory and Barreras strung together hits to open the inning. Sophomore pinch-hitter Maxwell Andeel grounded into a double play, but it netted a second Lopes run. Bush tripled to the right-center gap to drive in GCU's 12th and final run.
Five Lopes logged multi-hit days, including Jacob Wilson, Tyler Wilson, Bush, Verdusco and — in his college debut — Barreras.
The Lopes will open their home schedule against No. 2 Tennessee at 6 p.m. Saturday with a MLB Network telecast at Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark.
"We've got a lot of work left this weekend because we have three more really good teams," Wallis said. "But it was nice to get the first one."
Lopes first-year head coach Gregg Wallis didn't waste any time picking up his first victory as a head coach on a day when the Lopes offense tallied 12 runs on 16 hits and GCU's pitching shut out the Tritons in eight of nine innings.
As a part of the MLB Desert Invitational with the game being broadcast on MLB Network, all eyes were on GCU's two top-100 MLB Draft prospects in junior shortstop Jacob Wilson and junior outfielder Homer Bush Jr.
The duo delivered. Wilson racked up two hits and three RBIs before exiting the game after 3 1/2 innings as a precaution after diving into the stands hunting a foul ball. Bush went 3 for 4 with a triple, two runs, an RBI and a stolen base. Bush also made an impressive diving catch near the 410-foot, center-field wall in the fifth inning.
"That's got to be the biggest story," Wallis said. "All the eyes are on Jacob Wilson and Homer Bush Jr. Jacob goes 0-2 (count) in his first at bat of the year, fouls a ball off and then hits a wall-high line drive off the wall for a triple and gets a two-RBI knock. Homer had three hits, a triple, two stolen bases. With all eyes on them, they were able to focus. That's why they are who they are because they stayed focused, they made it about the team and their performances were outstanding today."
Postgame, Wilson decided that Wallis' first victory as a head coach was the bigger story. After being awarded player of the game honors by his teammates, Wilson turned and presented the symbolic helmet to Wallis.
"It was really exciting," Wallis said. "The guys came out and played really well. (Starting pitcher Zach) Thornton was awesome. Jacob, obviously early before he went Derek Jeter and dove into the stands, was having a huge game. I thought we did a lot of things really really well."
In his first Division I action, Zach Thornton was handed the ball in a nationally televised opening day start. The junior college transfer tossed 5 2/3 shutout innings, working around six hits, striking out six and walking none.
GCU wasted no time scratching across its first runs of the season, striking in the first inning. Lopes second baseman Zack Gregory, a graduate transfer from Arkansas, drew a walk and scored on Wilson's 0-2 triple that nearly left the yard. Jacob Wilson was scored by junior designated hitter Tyler Wilson who logged a two-strike, two-out single.
"They've been ready," Wallis said. "We've been saying it's a veteran group, so scrimmaging against each other for as long as we had to, I could tell these guys were ready. It was nice to come out and play well in our first one."
The Lopes tacked on three more runs in the second. Bush led the frame off with a single and later scored when junior right fielder Cade Verdusco singled. Jacob Wilson cleaned the inning up with a two-out, two-run single to stake the Lopes to a 5-0 lead.
In the third, Bush walked and later scored after stealing a base and scoring on a throwing error by the catcher.
GCU's lead continued to grow in the seventh. Freshman substitute shortstop Emilio Barreras doubled to lead off the inning and junior left fielder Elijah Buries singled to get a pair of runners in scoring position. Tyler Wilson and sophomore first baseman Eli Paton came through with GCU's third and fourth hits of the inning, both driving in runs. Redshirt freshman catcher John Sheehan pushed GCU's lead to 9-0 with a sacrifice fly to cap off the inning.
The Tritons struck for a big seventh inning to narrow the gap from 9-0 to 9-4. UC San Diego used three hits and four free passes to tally four runs. Lopes redshirt sophomore Carson Ohl came in and limited the damage with two shutout innings.
"The thing I was most proud about was, when one of our guys struggled, the other guys picked him up," Wallis said. "We had one bad inning but then Carson Ohl came in and picked up Maddox Thornton and then Verdusco and Gregory got a rally going the next inning to stop any momentum."
GCU quickly reversed momentum with a three-run eighth inning to reach the game's final margin. Verdusco, Gregory and Barreras strung together hits to open the inning. Sophomore pinch-hitter Maxwell Andeel grounded into a double play, but it netted a second Lopes run. Bush tripled to the right-center gap to drive in GCU's 12th and final run.
Five Lopes logged multi-hit days, including Jacob Wilson, Tyler Wilson, Bush, Verdusco and — in his college debut — Barreras.
The Lopes will open their home schedule against No. 2 Tennessee at 6 p.m. Saturday with a MLB Network telecast at Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark.
"We've got a lot of work left this weekend because we have three more really good teams," Wallis said. "But it was nice to get the first one."
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Thornton, Zach (1-0)
L: Ernisse, Zack (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Gregory, Zack 1 ; Barreras, Emilio 1
3B: Wilson, Jacob 1 ; Bush Jr., Homer 1
RBI: Verdusco, Cade 1 ; Wilson, Jacob 3 ; Barreras, Emilio 1 ; Wilson, Tyler 2 ; Bush Jr., Homer 1 ; Paton, Eli 1 ; Sheehan, John 1
SH: Paton, Eli 1
SF: Sheehan, John 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Verdusco, Cade 2 ; Gregory, Zack 2 ; Wilson, Jacob 1 ; Barreras, Emilio 1 ; Buries, Elijah 1 ; Wilson, Tyler 2 ; Bush Jr., Homer 2 ; Sheehan, John 1
SB: Bush Jr., Homer 2 ; Paton, Eli 1
CS: Wilson, Tyler 1
HBP: Sheehan, John 1
PO: Wilson, Tyler 1
Batting:
2B: Smith, Jalen 1
RBI: Smith, Jalen 1 ; Halbach, Matt 1 ; Kane, Doyle 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Saunders, Luke 1 ; Smith, Jalen 1 ; Kleszcz, Brock 1 ; Glascoe, Luke 1
HBP: Glascoe, Luke 1
Game Leaders
AB
6
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
AB
4
R
2
H
3
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
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