GCU set to begin GCU/ASU Invite

Friday, February 28

Phoenix, Ariz.

6:30 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Utah State

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Photo by: Nate Cochran

2/27/2025 3:15:00 PM | Softball

Lopes welcome 4 opponents to Phoenix this weekend

By: Braden Dohrmann

GCU/ASU Invite \| February 28 - March 2, 2025 \| GCU Softball Stadium \| Phoenix, Ariz.

	GRAND CANYON LOPES (12-3)	vs.	UTAH STATE AGGIES (11-4)
			YALE BULLDOGS (2-4)
			OREGON STATE BEAVERS (6-8)
			UTEP MINERS (9-5)

Grand Canyon co-hosts the GCU/ASU Invite with Arizona State this weekend, when they welcome four opponents to GCU Softball Stadium, including Utah State and Oregon State.

3 THINGS TO KNOW

Grand Canyon was ranked as the fourth-best mid-major team via D1Softball and received votes in the NFCA (28th) and ESPN/USA Softball (32nd) top-25 rankings.
GCU is one of two teams in the country to have three pitchers (Maggie Place, Meghan Golden, and Taryn Batterton) with four wins, the other team being No. 2 Texas.
Lopes sophomore two-way player Alina Satcher hit pinch-hit home runs in back-to-back games against Iowa State and Florida. The two homers marked her first two collegiate hits.

SCOUTING UTAH STATE (6:30 p.m. Friday)

Utah State is 11-4, coming in at No. 14 in the D1Softball Mid-Major rankings. The Aggies lead the weekend field in most offensive statistics.
GCU holds a 3-1 record against Utah State, with the teams' last matchup being a 5-0 Lopes win at GCU Softball Stadium in 2023.

SCOUTING YALE (4 p.m. Saturday)

The Bulldogs enter the weekend with a 2-4 record after starting their regular season last weekend. On Wednesday night, Yale beat Central Connecticut 12-2.
GCU is 2-0 against Yale, with a 1-0 record at home against the Bulldogs.

SCOUTING OREGON STATE (6:30 p.m. Saturday)

The Beavers enter with a 6-8 record. They went 3-3 against a tough field at the Mary Nutter Classic.
GCU is 2-4 all-time against Oregon State, winning last year's game 7-3 in Phoenix.

SCOUTING UTEP (11 a.m. Sunday)

The Miners are 9-5 through three weeks of play, beating Montana 10-1 as the teams' only common opponent so far this season.
Former GCU pitcher Ariel Thompson is now UTEP's pitching coach.
The Lopes are 0-1 all-time against the Miners, not meeting up since 2016.

LAST TIME OUT

GCU/ASU CLASSIC

The Lopes went 2-1, run-ruling Iowa State and Portland State.
GCU dropped its matchup with No. 3 Florida in a tightly contested 6-4 battle.
The Lopes set a Division I-era program record for stolen bases in a game with eight against Portland State.