Tuesday, April 2 | Phoenix Municipal Stadium | Phoenix, Ariz.
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ARIZONA STATE
SUN DEVILS
(14-14, 6-6 Pac-12)
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vs.
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GRAND CANYON
LOPES
(15-11, 9-3 WAC)
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Grand Canyon plays the first of two games in the season series against Arizona State. The clubs' first meeting takes place on Arizona State turf at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Tuesday.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
- THE TRIFECTA: The Lopes have started playing well-rounded baseball of late and have a 9-4 record to show for it in their last 13 games. GCU is one of nine teams in the nation to rank in the top 50 in three key categories: batting average (.307, 36th), earned run average (4.60, 45th) and fielding percentage (.981, 11th). The Lopes are joined on the exclusive list by Florida State, Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Duke, Dallas Baptist, UC Irvine, Creighton and Texas A&M.
- RICHARDSON ON THE BUMP: Lopes sophomore lefty Grant Richardson is set to make his first career start. Typically used in late-game, high-leverage situations, Richardson has made 20 appearances out of the Lopes bullpen in his one and a half seasons at GCU. Due to game circumstances and a lightly-used GCU bullpen, Richardson did not appear last weekend against Sacramento State. Richardson's career high in pitches was 53 on March 18, 2023.
- FORMER LOPES: Three former GCU pitchers have found a home on the Arizona State roster. Lefty Connor Markl and right-handers Hunter Omlid and Ryan Schiefer all spent time in the Lopes program. The three combined to post a 5.55 ERA in nearly 200 combined innings.
SCOUTING
Arizona State is an even .500 in both overall record and Pac-12 record entering Tuesday's matchup. The Sun Devils enter on a four-game winning streak, sweeping Cal over the weekend and beating UNLV in midweek action. Before, ASU had dropped four consecutively including a midweek loss to Utah Valley and a weekend sweep at the hands of Washington State.
The Sun Devils are under third-year head coach Willie Bloomquist. ASU narrowly missed the NCAA tournament field in 2023, identified as one of the first four teams left out of the field.
ASU ranks No. 126 nationally with a team batting average of .282 and 192nd nationally with an earned run average of 6.62.
WHAT'S NEXT?
GCU takes a break from WAC play for a four-game nonconference series at Saint Mary's beginning on Thursday.
For more GCU baseball news, notes and numbers, click here to view game notes.