Completed Event: Softball versus Northern Colorado on February 13, 2026 , Win , 12, to, 0
Softball
vs Northern Colorado
W 12-0
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Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: Sebastian Molinar
Lopes' 3rd UCLA regional trip aims for next level
5/16/2024 6:05:00 PM | Softball, Paul Coro
GCU returns to scene of 2023 upset to face 6th-ranked Bruins again
LOS ANGELES – When the bus stopped Thursday at the corner of Bellagio Road and DeNeve Drive, the Grand Canyon softball team knew where to go at Easton Stadium without the directional signs pointing to home and visitor sides.
The Los Angeles Regional's "WELCOME" sign might as well say "WELCOME BACK LOPES" for a GCU team making its third consecutive NCAA tournament appearance at UCLA.
The 2022 visit was history for being the Lopes' first NCAA Division I regional. The 2023 return was history for notching GCU's first regional victory, an even more historic moment for matching the greatest upset in NCAA tournament history when the Lopes shocked the second-ranked Bruins.
GCU (48-11) is back in Westwood to make another moment for the annals, starting with a 5:30 p.m. Friday rematch against No. 6 UCLA (37-10) in the four-team, double-elimination tournament.
The game will be streamed on ESPN+, following the regional opener between No. 17 Virginia Tech and San Diego State on ESPN2. GCU has played the other three regional teams in the past year and beat UCLA and Virginia Tech.
GCU put together its winningest season ever to get back to where it was a year ago. Only 30 programs in the nation have been in the NCAA tournament in each of the past three seasons, and the Los Angeles Regional is the only regional with four of those 30.
"Two years ago when we came here, there were nerves and a little bit of a jittery feeling," Lopes head coach Shanon Hays said at Easton Stadium, where the program's 13 national championships are commemorated on the outfield wall. "I don't see that at all this year. The girls see it as business as usual and a great opportunity."
GCU has accumulated the nation's eighth-best winning percentage by ranking ninth nationally in batting average (.338) and runs per game (6.6). Winning a premier softball conference such as the Pac-12, UCLA is still able to maintain similar production with 3.16 hitting and 6.0 runs per game.
The Bruins boast two-time Pac-12 Player of the Year, senior shortstop Maya Brady, who has hit .403 with 15 home runs and 61 RBIs.
GCU's firepower is just as experienced with national hits leader Ashley Trierweiler, who takes a .464 batting average into her first NCAA regional after four seasons at Santa Clara.
Behind Trierweiler in the leadoff spot, the Lopes have a pair of national top-20 run producers in graduates Rasmay Lopez (59 RBIs) and Kristin Fifield (58 RBIs).
Lopez has the fourth-most career home runs (69) among active Division I players while Fifield has the third-most career RBIs (243).
Fifield, senior shortstop Katelyn Dunckel and senior pitcher Ariel Thompson have been on each of the three GCU teams to reach the Los Angeles Regional. In addition to that trio, five other Lope returnees played in the victory against UCLA last year.
"We are so talented, just to brag on these girls," Thompson said. "I feel like we are coming back her with even more ammunition than we had the first two times. We are ready to dogfight it out and get some wins.
"First year was happy to be here, nerves, kind of a sick feeling on a big stage. Second year, I was ready to come back and get redemption. Third year, it's the attitude of wanting to take it all and go to a Super Regional."
After upsetting the Bruins 3-2 last year, the Lopes will try to repeat the feat against the Pac-12's regular-season and postseason champion.
UCLA defeated Arizona State 6-0, Arizona 6-5 and Utah 3-2 at the Pac-12 Tournament. GCU beat Arizona State 5-4 and Oregon State 7-3 and nearly knocked off Arizona in its final Pac-12 game of the season, a 3-2 loss in Tucson.
"UCLA is similar to last season in the fact that they are super talented," Hays said. "Last year, they were an awesome team but they weren't coming in with their best form. This year, they're playing really well with a lot of confidence.
"We're going to have to be at our best. If you show any signs of weakness, you can get embarrassed against great teams like this. All year long, we've competed with the best and played a schedule that prepared us. I think we just feel better about being in our own skin this year."
The Los Angeles Regional is considered the best in the tournament by many because of a powerhouse host, UCLA, being joined by three other teams that finished in the national top 60 of the NCAA Rating Percentage Index (RPI) – Virginia Tech (20), San Diego State (37) and GCU (59). The regional has the highest average RPI (31.5) in the tournament.
The Lopes knocked off Virginia Tech 11-2 on Feb. 17 at home and lost 8-4 to San Diego State on March 8 in Long Beach, California, and 6-0 in the Los Angeles Regional last year.
"One thing I've noticed already is they are all enjoying this immensely," Hays said. "We have such a great vibe with this team. They get along so well. They know each other so well. They trust each other. It's great for me because I'm coming back with assistants who I've been with for three years and Syd (Sydney Sherrill) for two. It's a neat comfort level that we have right now."
The Los Angeles Regional's "WELCOME" sign might as well say "WELCOME BACK LOPES" for a GCU team making its third consecutive NCAA tournament appearance at UCLA.
The 2022 visit was history for being the Lopes' first NCAA Division I regional. The 2023 return was history for notching GCU's first regional victory, an even more historic moment for matching the greatest upset in NCAA tournament history when the Lopes shocked the second-ranked Bruins.
GCU (48-11) is back in Westwood to make another moment for the annals, starting with a 5:30 p.m. Friday rematch against No. 6 UCLA (37-10) in the four-team, double-elimination tournament.The game will be streamed on ESPN+, following the regional opener between No. 17 Virginia Tech and San Diego State on ESPN2. GCU has played the other three regional teams in the past year and beat UCLA and Virginia Tech.
GCU put together its winningest season ever to get back to where it was a year ago. Only 30 programs in the nation have been in the NCAA tournament in each of the past three seasons, and the Los Angeles Regional is the only regional with four of those 30.
"Two years ago when we came here, there were nerves and a little bit of a jittery feeling," Lopes head coach Shanon Hays said at Easton Stadium, where the program's 13 national championships are commemorated on the outfield wall. "I don't see that at all this year. The girls see it as business as usual and a great opportunity."
GCU has accumulated the nation's eighth-best winning percentage by ranking ninth nationally in batting average (.338) and runs per game (6.6). Winning a premier softball conference such as the Pac-12, UCLA is still able to maintain similar production with 3.16 hitting and 6.0 runs per game.
The Bruins boast two-time Pac-12 Player of the Year, senior shortstop Maya Brady, who has hit .403 with 15 home runs and 61 RBIs.
GCU's firepower is just as experienced with national hits leader Ashley Trierweiler, who takes a .464 batting average into her first NCAA regional after four seasons at Santa Clara.Behind Trierweiler in the leadoff spot, the Lopes have a pair of national top-20 run producers in graduates Rasmay Lopez (59 RBIs) and Kristin Fifield (58 RBIs).
Lopez has the fourth-most career home runs (69) among active Division I players while Fifield has the third-most career RBIs (243).
Fifield, senior shortstop Katelyn Dunckel and senior pitcher Ariel Thompson have been on each of the three GCU teams to reach the Los Angeles Regional. In addition to that trio, five other Lope returnees played in the victory against UCLA last year.
"We are so talented, just to brag on these girls," Thompson said. "I feel like we are coming back her with even more ammunition than we had the first two times. We are ready to dogfight it out and get some wins."First year was happy to be here, nerves, kind of a sick feeling on a big stage. Second year, I was ready to come back and get redemption. Third year, it's the attitude of wanting to take it all and go to a Super Regional."
After upsetting the Bruins 3-2 last year, the Lopes will try to repeat the feat against the Pac-12's regular-season and postseason champion.
UCLA defeated Arizona State 6-0, Arizona 6-5 and Utah 3-2 at the Pac-12 Tournament. GCU beat Arizona State 5-4 and Oregon State 7-3 and nearly knocked off Arizona in its final Pac-12 game of the season, a 3-2 loss in Tucson.
"UCLA is similar to last season in the fact that they are super talented," Hays said. "Last year, they were an awesome team but they weren't coming in with their best form. This year, they're playing really well with a lot of confidence."We're going to have to be at our best. If you show any signs of weakness, you can get embarrassed against great teams like this. All year long, we've competed with the best and played a schedule that prepared us. I think we just feel better about being in our own skin this year."
The Los Angeles Regional is considered the best in the tournament by many because of a powerhouse host, UCLA, being joined by three other teams that finished in the national top 60 of the NCAA Rating Percentage Index (RPI) – Virginia Tech (20), San Diego State (37) and GCU (59). The regional has the highest average RPI (31.5) in the tournament.
The Lopes knocked off Virginia Tech 11-2 on Feb. 17 at home and lost 8-4 to San Diego State on March 8 in Long Beach, California, and 6-0 in the Los Angeles Regional last year.
"One thing I've noticed already is they are all enjoying this immensely," Hays said. "We have such a great vibe with this team. They get along so well. They know each other so well. They trust each other. It's great for me because I'm coming back with assistants who I've been with for three years and Syd (Sydney Sherrill) for two. It's a neat comfort level that we have right now."
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