Conference action comes to Phoenix

Friday-Sunday, March 15-17 \| Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark \| Phoenix, Ariz.

	TARLETON STATE TEXANS (10-8, 1-2 WAC)	vs.	GRAND CANYON LOPES (9-7, 3-0 WAC)

PITCHING PROBABLES

Friday, March 15 • 6 p.m.
Live Stats • Watch on ESPN+
RHP Piercen McElyea (1-0, 4.76) vs. RHP Daniel Avitia (2-2, 3.97)

Saturday, March 16 • 6 p.m.
Live Stats • Watch on ESPN+
LHP Matt Haley (1-3, 4.64) vs. RHP Carter Young (3-1, 4.50)

Sunday, March 17 • 11 a.m.
Live Stats • Watch on ESPN+
TBA vs. RHP Connor Mattison (2-0, 5.63)

Grand Canyon is back at Brazell Field for its first home WAC weekend of the season, welcoming in Tarleton State for a series that begins on Friday at 6 p.m.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

THE STREAK: After sweeping its first WAC series, GCU extended its active winning streak in regular-season conference action to 16 games dating back to last season. GCU is picked to win the WAC for the seventh consecutive season.
WILSON'S HARDWARE: GCU senior left fielder Tyler Wilson has been a steady hitter for the Lopes his entire career, already boasting three seasons of .300 or better hitting. Wilson checked off a career first this week, earning recognition as the WAC Hitter of the Week. In the three-game set at Stephen F. Austin, he hit .500 (6 for 12). On the week, he hit three homers and three doubles.
STRIKE 'EM OUT: GCU's pitching staff has combined to strike out 171 batters in the Lopes' 16 games this season. The rate of 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings ranks 31st in the nation. Junior righty Daniel Avitia and senior righty Carter Young each struck out 11 batters in their starts at Stephen F. Austin and are tied for the club lead with 29 strikeouts.

SCOUTING

Tarleton State got off to a strong 7-2 start in its first nine games this year before going 3-6 since. The Texans started the season at Southeastern Louisiana and lost two of three games before sweeping a four-game set against Northern Colorado. Tarleton State split a four-game series at Central Arkansas and opened WAC play by dropping two of three at home to Abilene Christian. The Texans and Lopes have one common opponent to date in UTSA. Tarleton was 1-1 in midweek games against the Roadrunners, while the Lopes dropped two of three games in a weekend series at UTSA.

The Texans are under rookie head coach Fuller Smith who spent time as an assistant coach at Sam Houston (2020-23), UT Arlington (2014-19) and Ole Miss (2013).

Tarleton State is coming off of a .500 season (26-26) where it went 10-18 in WAC play. The Texans are in the final season of a four-year transition from NCAA Division II to Division I.

WHAT'S NEXT?

GCU plays the first of three games in a season series against Arizona on Tuesday in Tucson before traveling to Edinburg, Texas, for a conference series at UT Rio Grande Valley.

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

Friday-Sunday, March 15-17 | Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark | Phoenix, Ariz.

vs.

PITCHING PROBABLES

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

SCOUTING

WHAT'S NEXT?

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Daniel Avitia

Connor Mattison

Tyler Wilson

Carter Young

Grand Canyon University Athletics