Completed Event: Softball at San Diego State on April 17, 2026 , Win , 12, to, 3 , (5 inn.)
Softball
at San Diego State
W 12-3
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Lopes dominate WAC preseason projections
1/29/2025 3:00:00 PM | Softball
Kirk, Golden dubbed Preseason Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year
GCU softball received plenty of praise from the rest of the WAC in 2025 preseason voting.
The WAC coaches' preseason poll selected Grand Canyon to win the conference with seven first-place votes from eight opponents. Lopes sophomore second baseman Savannah Kirk was picked Preseason Player of the Year, and senior teammate Meghan Golden was named Preseason Pitcher of the Year for the second consecutive season. GCU graduate outfielder Makaiya Gomez joined Kirk and Golden on the Preseason All-WAC Team.
Sitting atop the coaches' poll with 62 points, GCU led California Baptist (53), Utah Valley (51) and Seattle UÂ (48). Utah Valley and Seattle each received one first-place vote.Â
"It is nice to receive those votes and respect from your peers, " Lopes fourth-year head coach Shanon Hays said. "However, it does not mean anything. What matters is where we are at in the standings at the end of the year."
GCU looks to continue its recent dominance of the WAC and further its streak of three consecutive WAC Tournament titles and NCAA tournament appearances. The Lopes were sent to the Los Angeles Regional at UCLA each of the past three seasons, when they have advanced further in the regional each year.
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Hays led GCU to its first 50-win season in 2024, when it advanced to the Los Angeles Regional final after defeating San Diego State and Virginia Tech. He oversaw at least five All-WAC award winners each season and won WAC Coach of the Year two of three seasons in Phoenix.
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Kirk enters her sophomore season after jumping on the scene last season at GCU. Kirk started 58 games as a mainstay at second base and hit .389 with 63 hits and 20 RBIs, delivering five hits and three runs in the Los Angeles Regional. Kirk's efforts landed her on the All-WAC first team and the WAC Freshman of the Year.Â
The native of nearby Waddell, Arizona, ended last season with the 13th-best batting average and eighth-most hits among freshman in the nation. She played a stellar second base with a .970 fielding percentage.
Kirk is the third consecutive GCU player to be named WAC Preseason Player of the Year, following Kristin Fifield (2024) and Katelyn Dunckel (2023). She is expected to return to second base and hit leadoff this season.
"This honor is very cool for Sav," Hays said. "She is one of the hardest-working players I have ever had, and has quickly become a leader within our team. She sets a great example on how to bring it every day, both in practice and games. A great player to set the tone at the top of our lineup."
Golden was named WAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year for the second consecutive season after a second standout season in the circle for the Lopes.
Making 22 starts and 30 appearances, Golden boasted a 13-4 record, 2.15 ERA, three saves and four complete-game shutouts last season after going 14-3 with a 2.65 ERA in 2023.
Golden showed up bigtime in the postseason, earning the save in the WAC Tournament championship victory that sent the Lopes to the NCAA tournament. In the Los Angeles Regional, Golden threw a complete game against Virginia Tech, leading the Lopes to the program's first-ever regional final. She only allowed one run.
Golden made the All-WAC second team in 2024 and first team in 2023.
"Meg deserves this kind of respect being a senior with the career she has had to this point," Hays said. "We are counting on her to live up this honor this year. If she can stay healthy and pitch how she did in the fall, we are very optimistic in her 2025 season."
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Makaiya "MK" Gomez joins Golden and Kirk on the Preseason All-WAC Team. The graduate outfielder started 56 games in her first Lopes season last year, hitting .343 with three home runs, four triples, 34 RBIs and 35 runs. She also stole five bases.
Gomez's highlight moments included a four-hit performance against UT Arlington on April 5 and a home run in the WAC Tournament championship game vs. California Baptist to the put the game away. Gomez was one of six batters to play 60 games and hit for at least a .340 average on the roster last season. Gomez projects to play every day in right field this season and hit near the top of the lineup.
"MK quietly had a super year last year," Hays said. "It is cool that coaches across the conference recognize that, because she is a huge leader on our team and will be vital to our success. Being a big part of last year's team, she has stepped into the leadership role she needs to this season."
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The WAC coaches' preseason poll selected Grand Canyon to win the conference with seven first-place votes from eight opponents. Lopes sophomore second baseman Savannah Kirk was picked Preseason Player of the Year, and senior teammate Meghan Golden was named Preseason Pitcher of the Year for the second consecutive season. GCU graduate outfielder Makaiya Gomez joined Kirk and Golden on the Preseason All-WAC Team.
Sitting atop the coaches' poll with 62 points, GCU led California Baptist (53), Utah Valley (51) and Seattle UÂ (48). Utah Valley and Seattle each received one first-place vote.Â
"It is nice to receive those votes and respect from your peers, " Lopes fourth-year head coach Shanon Hays said. "However, it does not mean anything. What matters is where we are at in the standings at the end of the year."
GCU looks to continue its recent dominance of the WAC and further its streak of three consecutive WAC Tournament titles and NCAA tournament appearances. The Lopes were sent to the Los Angeles Regional at UCLA each of the past three seasons, when they have advanced further in the regional each year.
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Hays led GCU to its first 50-win season in 2024, when it advanced to the Los Angeles Regional final after defeating San Diego State and Virginia Tech. He oversaw at least five All-WAC award winners each season and won WAC Coach of the Year two of three seasons in Phoenix.
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Kirk enters her sophomore season after jumping on the scene last season at GCU. Kirk started 58 games as a mainstay at second base and hit .389 with 63 hits and 20 RBIs, delivering five hits and three runs in the Los Angeles Regional. Kirk's efforts landed her on the All-WAC first team and the WAC Freshman of the Year. The native of nearby Waddell, Arizona, ended last season with the 13th-best batting average and eighth-most hits among freshman in the nation. She played a stellar second base with a .970 fielding percentage.
Kirk is the third consecutive GCU player to be named WAC Preseason Player of the Year, following Kristin Fifield (2024) and Katelyn Dunckel (2023). She is expected to return to second base and hit leadoff this season.
"This honor is very cool for Sav," Hays said. "She is one of the hardest-working players I have ever had, and has quickly become a leader within our team. She sets a great example on how to bring it every day, both in practice and games. A great player to set the tone at the top of our lineup."
Golden was named WAC Preseason Pitcher of the Year for the second consecutive season after a second standout season in the circle for the Lopes.
Making 22 starts and 30 appearances, Golden boasted a 13-4 record, 2.15 ERA, three saves and four complete-game shutouts last season after going 14-3 with a 2.65 ERA in 2023.
Golden showed up bigtime in the postseason, earning the save in the WAC Tournament championship victory that sent the Lopes to the NCAA tournament. In the Los Angeles Regional, Golden threw a complete game against Virginia Tech, leading the Lopes to the program's first-ever regional final. She only allowed one run.
Golden made the All-WAC second team in 2024 and first team in 2023.
"Meg deserves this kind of respect being a senior with the career she has had to this point," Hays said. "We are counting on her to live up this honor this year. If she can stay healthy and pitch how she did in the fall, we are very optimistic in her 2025 season."
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Makaiya "MK" Gomez joins Golden and Kirk on the Preseason All-WAC Team. The graduate outfielder started 56 games in her first Lopes season last year, hitting .343 with three home runs, four triples, 34 RBIs and 35 runs. She also stole five bases.Gomez's highlight moments included a four-hit performance against UT Arlington on April 5 and a home run in the WAC Tournament championship game vs. California Baptist to the put the game away. Gomez was one of six batters to play 60 games and hit for at least a .340 average on the roster last season. Gomez projects to play every day in right field this season and hit near the top of the lineup.
"MK quietly had a super year last year," Hays said. "It is cool that coaches across the conference recognize that, because she is a huge leader on our team and will be vital to our success. Being a big part of last year's team, she has stepped into the leadership role she needs to this season."
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Preseason conference awards |
|
| AWARD | PLAYER, SCHOOL |
| Player of the Year | Savannah Kirk, GCU |
| Pitcher of the Year | Meghan Golden, GCU |
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Preseason All-WAC Team  |
|
| POSITION | PLAYER, YEAR, SCHOOL |
| Infielder | Savannah Kirk, sophomore, GCU |
| Pitcher | Meghan Golden, senior, GCU |
| Outfielder | Makaiya Gomez, graduate, GCU |
| Utility | Kalena Burns, graduate, California Baptist |
| Infielder | Kate Penberthy, sophomore, California Baptist |
| Infielder | Priscilla Estrada, senior, California Baptist |
| Infielder | Taylor Fitch, junior, Seattle U |
| Infielder | Mikee Morris, sophomore, Seattle U |
| Infielder | Megan Gibbs, redshirt-senior, Utah Valley |
| Infielder | LBÂ Kahahawai-Kekona, junior, Utah Tech |
| Infielder | Carly Eldredge, senior, Utah Tech |
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Preseason coaches poll |
|||
| RANK | TEAM (first-place votes) | POINTS | |
| 1 |
 |
Grand Canyon (7) | 62 |
| 2 |
 |
California Baptist | 53 |
| 3 |
 |
Utah Valley (1) | 51 |
| 4 |
 |
Seattle U (1) | 48 |
| 5 |
 |
UT Arlington | 32 |
| 6 |
 |
Utah Tech | 29 |
| 7 |
 |
Tarleton State | 22 |
| 8 |
 |
Abilene Christian  | 16 |
| 9 |
 |
Southern Utah | 11 |
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Players Mentioned
IF
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball#grwm: GCU Softball's Sydney McCray #softball
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HOMER from the DRONE 🥎 #collegesoftball
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No. 22 GCU homers THREE times in dub over San José State #collegesoftball
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GONE! Trinity Martin homers for No. 22 GCU
Sunday, March 22