Completed Event: Softball at Arizona State on October 15, 2025 ,
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Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: Sebastian Molinar
NCAA tourney returns GCU to UCLA regional
5/14/2023 6:03:00 PM | Softball, Paul Coro
Lopes face 2nd-ranked Bruins with SDSU, Liberty also in Los Angeles
The Grand Canyon softball team gets a chance to attend to unfinished business when it makes a second consecutive NCAA tournament trip to UCLA this week.
GCU's first Division I regional visit ended with two losses last year in Los Angeles, but five returning starters and a starting pitcher are among the Lopes who led a WAC Tournament championship repeat that provides a second chance for a program statement.
The Lopes' winningest season ever continues with GCU (46-11) receiving a 5 p.m. Friday regional rematch against UCLA (52-5), the tournament's No. 2 overall seed that posted the same 21-1 home record as last year. GCU is the only Arizona program in the 64-team field.
The Lopes and Bruins are in the double-elimination Los Angeles Regional with San Diego State (35-15) and Liberty (38-20), which will play the late game Friday at Easton Stadium.
"This is honestly really good for us because we went to UCLA last year," GCU senior second baseman Macee Barnes said. "We know the field. We know the facility. We know the team. After what we did last year, we have to come back and show everyone at UCLA that this is the GCU you're going to get."
After Lopes head coach Shanon Hays guided the program's first NCAA Division I tournament appearance in his first year, the GCU players had a more subdued reaction Sunday when they gathered to watch their name broadcast by ESPN2 during the NCAA Selection Show.
Last year's team had doubled the previous season's win total before losing 12-1 to UCLA and 9-5 to Ole Miss at that Los Angeles Regional.
This year's t
eam enters Easton Stadium with regional experience, the nation's No. 7 hitting team and an eight-game winning streak that culminated with Saturday's WAC Tournament championship repeat.
"It's a great experience to get to do it again." Hays said. "Hopefully, we'll be able to accomplish more while we're there and play well. Last year, I feel like we were happy to get in the tournament being our first time. This year, I feel like our girls want to go in there and do some damage."
In addition to Barnes being a returning regional starter, GCU brings back the national RBI leader, right fielder Kristin Fifield (85 RBIs), and a top-25 hitter, Hannah Burnett (.426 batting average). Junior shortstop Katelyn Dunkel, senior catcher Kinsey Koeltzow and pitcher Ariel Thompson also started against UCLA and Ole Miss last season.
"We are are going to be able to set that standard that, 'We belong here. We belong on the same field as these teams. We're going to go get them,' " Barnes said.
The lineup has been fortified with players who are experiencing their first regional trip, such as transfers Kaitlyn Brannstrom, Ramsay Lopez, Kayla Rodgers and Madison Schaefer, as well as pitchers who provided staff depth in Emily Darwin, Meghan Golden and Hailey Hudson.
"It's been unreal," said Lopez, who ranks 12th nationally among active players with 55 career home runs but never played in a regional over three New Mexico State seasons. "I never thought I'd be in a position like this. Playing in a regional is a dream of everybody's, so I'm really excited to have this opportunity and show the kind of team that we are."
UCLA, a 13-time national champion, ranks second nationally in batting average (.343) and 12th in slugging percentage (.537) with Pac-12 Player of the Year Maya Brady hitting .457 with 18 home runs. The Bruins rank sixth in earned run average (1.58) with 20 shutout wins. They won the Pac-12 regular-season title but were upset by Utah 7-4 on Saturday at the Pac-12 Tournament.
GCU ranks fourth nationally in batting average (.331), ninth in slugging percentage (.548) and 37th in ERA (2.33) with 13 shutouts.
"We're the underdogs," Lopez said. "We shouldn't be overlooked because we're a mid-major or Grand Canyon. We want to make a name for ourselves this weekend."
Saturday, May 20
Sunday, May 21
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GCU's first Division I regional visit ended with two losses last year in Los Angeles, but five returning starters and a starting pitcher are among the Lopes who led a WAC Tournament championship repeat that provides a second chance for a program statement.The Lopes' winningest season ever continues with GCU (46-11) receiving a 5 p.m. Friday regional rematch against UCLA (52-5), the tournament's No. 2 overall seed that posted the same 21-1 home record as last year. GCU is the only Arizona program in the 64-team field.
The Lopes and Bruins are in the double-elimination Los Angeles Regional with San Diego State (35-15) and Liberty (38-20), which will play the late game Friday at Easton Stadium.
"This is honestly really good for us because we went to UCLA last year," GCU senior second baseman Macee Barnes said. "We know the field. We know the facility. We know the team. After what we did last year, we have to come back and show everyone at UCLA that this is the GCU you're going to get."
After Lopes head coach Shanon Hays guided the program's first NCAA Division I tournament appearance in his first year, the GCU players had a more subdued reaction Sunday when they gathered to watch their name broadcast by ESPN2 during the NCAA Selection Show.
Last year's team had doubled the previous season's win total before losing 12-1 to UCLA and 9-5 to Ole Miss at that Los Angeles Regional.
This year's t
eam enters Easton Stadium with regional experience, the nation's No. 7 hitting team and an eight-game winning streak that culminated with Saturday's WAC Tournament championship repeat."It's a great experience to get to do it again." Hays said. "Hopefully, we'll be able to accomplish more while we're there and play well. Last year, I feel like we were happy to get in the tournament being our first time. This year, I feel like our girls want to go in there and do some damage."
In addition to Barnes being a returning regional starter, GCU brings back the national RBI leader, right fielder Kristin Fifield (85 RBIs), and a top-25 hitter, Hannah Burnett (.426 batting average). Junior shortstop Katelyn Dunkel, senior catcher Kinsey Koeltzow and pitcher Ariel Thompson also started against UCLA and Ole Miss last season.
"We are are going to be able to set that standard that, 'We belong here. We belong on the same field as these teams. We're going to go get them,' " Barnes said.
The lineup has been fortified with players who are experiencing their first regional trip, such as transfers Kaitlyn Brannstrom, Ramsay Lopez, Kayla Rodgers and Madison Schaefer, as well as pitchers who provided staff depth in Emily Darwin, Meghan Golden and Hailey Hudson.
"It's been unreal," said Lopez, who ranks 12th nationally among active players with 55 career home runs but never played in a regional over three New Mexico State seasons. "I never thought I'd be in a position like this. Playing in a regional is a dream of everybody's, so I'm really excited to have this opportunity and show the kind of team that we are."
UCLA, a 13-time national champion, ranks second nationally in batting average (.343) and 12th in slugging percentage (.537) with Pac-12 Player of the Year Maya Brady hitting .457 with 18 home runs. The Bruins rank sixth in earned run average (1.58) with 20 shutout wins. They won the Pac-12 regular-season title but were upset by Utah 7-4 on Saturday at the Pac-12 Tournament.
GCU ranks fourth nationally in batting average (.331), ninth in slugging percentage (.548) and 37th in ERA (2.33) with 13 shutouts.
"We're the underdogs," Lopez said. "We shouldn't be overlooked because we're a mid-major or Grand Canyon. We want to make a name for ourselves this weekend."
Los Angeles Regional schedule
Friday, May 19- Game 1: GCU vs. UCLAÂ at 5 p.m. (Phoenix time), ESPN+
- Game 2: Liberty vs. San Diego State at 8 p.m. (Phoenix time), ESPNU
Saturday, May 20
- Game 3: Winner of Game 1 vs. winner of Game 2 at 2 p.m. (Phoenix time)
- Game 4: Loser of Game 1 vs. loser of Game 2 at 4:30 p.m. (Phoenix time)
- Game 5: Winner of Game 4 vs. loser of Game 3 at 7 p.m. (Phoenix time)
Sunday, May 21
- Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. winner of Game 5 at 3 p.m. (Phoenix time)
- Game 7: Winner of Game 6 vs. loser of Game 6 (if necessary) at 5:30 p.m. (Phoenix time)
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Players Mentioned
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UTIL
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UTIL
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OF
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P
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P
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IF
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OF
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IF
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