Lopes, No. 9 Ducks set for 2-game midweek set

Tuesday, March 11

Eugene, Ore.

4 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Oregon

Photo by: David Kadlubowski

3/11/2025 1:00:00 AM | Baseball

GCU Notes Oregon Notes

GCU has won 5 of last 6 games against top-25 opponents

By: Josh Hauser

Tuesday-Wednesday, March 11-12 \| PK Park \| Eugene, Ore.

	NO. 9 OREGON DUCKS (14-2)	vs.	GRAND CANYON LOPES (11-4)

PITCHING PROBABLES

Tuesday, March 11 • 4 p.m.
Live Stats • Watch on BIG+
LHP Ian Umlandt (3-0, 0.64) vs. RHP Gunnar Penzkover (0-0, 4.50)

Wednesday, March 12 • 4 p.m.
Live Stats • Watch on BIG+
TBA vs. TBA

Grand Canyon begins a five-game week in the state of Oregon with a two-game midweek set against the No. 9 Ducks with games on Tuesday and Wednesday, both at 4 p.m.

The series will be streamed on BIG+.

3 THINGS TO KNOW

ANOTHER WAC HONOR: Senior third baseman Eli Paton became the fourth GCU player to win a WAC weekly honor this season. Paton had a 6-for-14 week (.429) with two doubles and two home runs for a 1.000 slugging percentage to help the Lopes go 4-0 against Pepperdine and Texas Tech. Paton also scored seven runs and recorded a stolen base. Paton joins Connor Mattison, Emilio Barreras and Isaac Lyon as the Lopes who have helped claim one weekly honor in each week of the 2025 season.

TOP-25 SUCCESS: Dating back to last season, the Lopes have won five of their last six games against top-25 foes. GCU defeated Arizona three consecutive times when the Wildcats were ranked No. 21, No. 21 and No. 15. GCU also defeated No. 25 Dallas Baptist in last year's NCAA tournament. After falling to No. 16 Vanderbilt 4-3 on this year's opening day, the Lopes bounced back to defeat No. 23 Nebraska on the Monday of opening weekend.

PITCHING COACH REUNIONS: In GCU's trip to Oregon, the Lopes will face off against two of its former pitching coaches. GCU alum Blake Hawksworth is Oregon's pitching coach. He was GCU's pitching coach in the COVID-shortened 2020 season and only spent 18 games on the staff. Oregon State pitching coach Rich Dorman was the Lopes' pitching coach from 2017 through 2019.

SCOUTING OREGON

Oregon checks in with a 14-2 record, a No. 9 ranking by D1Baseball.com and an RPI of 48.

The Ducks opened the season with three straight four-game weekends against Toledo (won three of four), Rhode Island (won three of four) and Columbia (swept four). Oregon left Eugene for the first time to open Big Ten play, taking on and sweeping former GCU head coach Andy Stankiewicz's USC club. The Ducks have won 11 consecutively entering the GCU series.

Oregon ranks in the nation's top 25 in both batting average (.329) and earned run average (3.38).

WHAT'S NEXT?

The week in Oregon continues with three weekend games in Corvallis. The Lopes will play the No. 8 Beavers on Friday and Sunday and will play a neutral-site game against Santa Clara on Saturday.

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