Pair of returning tourney teams play 3 at GCU

March 3-5 \| Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark \| Phoenix, Ariz.

	TEXAS STATE BOBCATS (6-2)	at	GRAND CANYON LOPES (6-2)

PITCHING PROBABLES

Friday, March 3 • 6 p.m.
Live Stats • Watch
RHP Levi Wells (2-0, 0.77) vs. LHP Zach Thornton (1-0, 0.00)

Saturday, March 4 • 6 p.m.
Live Stats • Watch
RHP Zeke Wood (1-1, 4.15) vs. RHP Daniel Avitia (1-0, 2.70)

Sunday, March 5 • 1 p.m.
Live Stats • Watch
RHP Nathan Medrano (0-1, 5.87) vs. LHP Connor Markl (0-0, 3.48)

A 13-game homestand rolls on for Grand Canyon who plays host to Texas State in one of the top weekend series around the nation. The three-game set gets underway at 6 p.m. on Friday at Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark.

All three games will be streamed on ESPN+.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

TOURNEY TEAMS: The Lopes filled their 2023 schedule with eight 2022 NCAA Tournament participants. GCU already has three wins against that crop of opponents and welcomes in another team to Phoenix this weekend. Texas State went 2-2 in the Stanford Regional and was three outs away from advancing to a super regional before the Cardinal salvaged its season with a three-run ninth inning.
HOT START: With a 4-0 weekend in their back pocket, the Lopes are off to a 6-2 start which is their best since beginning 2015 with a 7-1 mark. GCU is ranked No. 28 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll. The Lopes have logged wins over reigning postseason participants in Tennessee and Gonzaga.
QUITE THE D-I DEBUT: Junior left-hander Zach Thornton has started his Division I career with 11 innings of shutout baseball, one of just 15 pitchers nationally to have a 0.00 ERA with over 10 innings of work. He was rewarded for his efforts following opening weekend with the WAC Pitcher of the Week honor. Thornton will get the ball in the series opener on Friday night.

SCOUTING

Texas State is off to a 6-2 start in 2023, sweeping an opening-weekend series against Northwestern, dropping two of three to Oral Roberts, and winning midweek battles against Incarnate Word and Sam Houston. Texas State is venturing outside of its state borders for the first time this year.

The Bobcats have flashed significant power numbers thus far, ranking eighth nationally with 20 home runs and seventh with a team slugging percentage of .627.

Texas State is coming off of an impressive 2022 campaign where it went 47-14 and ended the regular season ranked No. 11 in the D1Baseball.com top 25. Despite losing in the Sun Belt Tournament, the Bobcats were an easy at-large pick and nearly won the Stanford Regional. Texas State pushed Stanford to the brink and held a 3-1 lead entering the home-half of the ninth in a winner-take-all regional championship game.

WHAT'S NEXT?

GCU and Arizona will meet for the first of three matchups this season and the first of two held at Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark. The Lopes and Wildcats play on Tuesday at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.

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

March 3-5 | Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark | Phoenix, Ariz.

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PITCHING PROBABLES

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

SCOUTING

WHAT'S NEXT?

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Daniel Avitia

Connor Markl

Zach Thornton

Grand Canyon University Athletics