Completed Event: Baseball versus Air Force on April 18, 2026 , Loss , 4, to, 5
Baseball
vs Air Force
L 4-5
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Lopes scatter nationally for summer ball
6/11/2023 11:30:00 AM | Baseball
GCU's Avitia, Ward bound for prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League
The baseball season doesn't stop for many Grand Canyon players who are scattering across the country to continue their development.
The summer baseball schedule allows the Lopes to gain more experience by facing off against fellow college student-athletes in leagues across the country.
GCU pitchers Daniel Avitia and Nathan Ward are headed to the Cape Cod Baseball League, the most prestigious of the summer college baseball leagues. At the Massachusetts-based wood bat league, Avitia and Ward will team up for the Orleans Firebirds. GCU has a long history of sending players to Orleans, including Jacob Wilson, Kade Mechals, Dawson McCarville, Jake Wong and Avitia's older brother, David.
The Cape Cod League got underway on Saturday night, with Avitia making the Opening Day start for Orleans. He tossed four innings, allowing no earned runs and striking out six.
The Appalachian League and MLB Draft League feature former minor league stadiums and facilities that were left out of MLB's consolidation of minor league teams. Nick Arias and Troy Sanders will play in the Appalachian League while Tyler Wilson, Cade Verdusco and Cody Tucker will play in the MLB Draft League.
A mainstay in summer league baseball, the Northwoods League, will feature two GCU representatives. Home to the largest crowds in summer ball, the Northwoods League will see a Dustin Crenshaw return and an Isaac Lyon stay.
Other Lopes players are bound for the Alaska Baseball League, West Coast League, Coastal Plain League, California Collegiate League, Golden State Collegiate League and Arizona Collegiate Wood Bat League.
Several GCU newcomers will play summer ball: incoming freshmen Troy Sanders, Cooper Neville, Hunter Watkins and Brady Francisco, along with Central Arizona College transfer Blake Avila.
For updates and highlights of summer ball action, follow @GCU_Baseball on Twitter.
The summer baseball schedule allows the Lopes to gain more experience by facing off against fellow college student-athletes in leagues across the country.
GCU pitchers Daniel Avitia and Nathan Ward are headed to the Cape Cod Baseball League, the most prestigious of the summer college baseball leagues. At the Massachusetts-based wood bat league, Avitia and Ward will team up for the Orleans Firebirds. GCU has a long history of sending players to Orleans, including Jacob Wilson, Kade Mechals, Dawson McCarville, Jake Wong and Avitia's older brother, David.
The Cape Cod League got underway on Saturday night, with Avitia making the Opening Day start for Orleans. He tossed four innings, allowing no earned runs and striking out six.
The Appalachian League and MLB Draft League feature former minor league stadiums and facilities that were left out of MLB's consolidation of minor league teams. Nick Arias and Troy Sanders will play in the Appalachian League while Tyler Wilson, Cade Verdusco and Cody Tucker will play in the MLB Draft League.
A mainstay in summer league baseball, the Northwoods League, will feature two GCU representatives. Home to the largest crowds in summer ball, the Northwoods League will see a Dustin Crenshaw return and an Isaac Lyon stay.
Other Lopes players are bound for the Alaska Baseball League, West Coast League, Coastal Plain League, California Collegiate League, Golden State Collegiate League and Arizona Collegiate Wood Bat League.
Several GCU newcomers will play summer ball: incoming freshmen Troy Sanders, Cooper Neville, Hunter Watkins and Brady Francisco, along with Central Arizona College transfer Blake Avila.
For updates and highlights of summer ball action, follow @GCU_Baseball on Twitter.
Player |
Team |
Opener |
|
 |
Daniel Avitia |
Orleans Firebirds Cape Cod League Orleans, Mass. |
June 10 |
 |
Nathan Ward |
Orleans Firebirds Cape Cod League Orleans, Mass. |
June 10 |
 |
Isaac Lyon |
Eau Claire Express Northwoods League Eau Claire, Wis. |
May 29 |
 |
Dustin Crenshaw |
Mankato MoonDogs Northwoods League Mankato, Minn. |
May 29 |
 |
Grant Richardson |
Mat-su Miners Alaska Baseball League Palmer, Alaska |
June 5 |
 |
Emilio Barreras |
Mat-su Miners Alaska Baseball League Palmer, Alaska |
June 5 |
 |
Kan Taguchi |
Anchorage Glacier Pilots Alaska Baseball League Anchorage, Alaska |
June 5 |
 |
Nick Arias |
Bristol State Liners Appalachian League Bristol, Va. |
June 6 |
 |
Troy Sanders |
Bristol State Liners Appalachian League Bristol, Va. |
June 6 |
 |
Shawn Triplett |
Macon Bacon Coastal Plain League Macon, Ga. |
June 12 |
 |
Tyler Wilson |
State College Spikes MLB Draft League State College, Pa. |
May 31 |
 |
Cade Verdusco |
West Virginia Black Bears MLB Draft League Granville, W.Va. |
May 31 |
 |
Cody Tucker |
West Virginia Black Bears MLB Draft League Granville, W.Va. |
May 31 |
 |
Eli Paton |
Conejo Oaks California Collegiate League Thousand Oaks, Calif. |
June 6 |
 |
Maxwell Andeel |
Conejo Oaks California Collegiate League Thousand Oaks, Calif. |
June 6 |
 |
Brady Francisco |
Conejo Oaks California Collegiate League Thousand Oaks, Calif. |
June 6 |
 |
Hunter Watkins |
Santa Barbara Foresters California Collegiate League Santa Barbara, Calif. |
June 6 |
 |
Blake Avila |
Corvallis Knights West Coast League Corvallis, Ore. |
June 2 |
 |
Cooper Neville |
Kamloops NorthPaws West Coast League Kamloops, B.C., Canada |
June 2 |
 |
John Sheehan |
Sandlot Arizona Collegiate Wood Bat League Phoenix, Ariz. |
June 12 |
 |
Jaxson Wall |
Sandlot Arizona Collegiate Wood Bat League Phoenix, Ariz. |
June 12 |
 |
Walt Quinn |
Ventura County Pirates Golden State Collegiate League Los Angeles, Calif. |
June 3 |
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