Upcoming Event: Baseball versus MLB Desert Invitational on February 13, 2026
Baseball
vs MLB Desert Invitational
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Thursday, April 17
St. George, Utah
3 p.m. (MST)
Grand Canyon
22-15, 9-4
5
at
6
Utah Tech
16-20, 2-8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Grand Canyon
1
0
3
0
0
0
0
1
0
5
8
1
Utah Tech
0
0
1
1
0
0
2
2
X
6
10
1
Late rally sinks Lopes in opener
4/17/2025 6:08:00 PM | Baseball
GCU jumps out to 4-0 lead, allows 4 late runs
ST. GEORGE, Utah — Grand Canyon jumped out to a 4-0 lead but couldn't hang on in the opener of a three-game series at Utah Tech, falling 6-5 on Thursday afternoon.
The Lopes (22-15, 9-4 WAC) held a 4-0 lead and bounced back to reclaim a 5-4 lead after Utah Tech tied it. The Trailblazers (16-20, 2-8 WAC) landed the final blow with a two-run single coming with two outs in the eighth to take the lead.
GCU mounted a comeback effort in the top of the ninth with the first two batters reaching and junior right fielder Josh Wakefield singling to load the bases, but the Lopes could not push across the tying run.
The Lopes built their early lead largely due to the efforts of junior first baseman Zach Yorke and sophomore designated hitter Cannon Peery. Yorke used a productive out to drive in a run in the first. He drove in another run on a single in the third, before Peery hammered his first home run of the season to give the Lopes a 4-0 lead.
Utah Tech posted single tallies in the third and fourth before tying the game in the seventh.
Yorke gave the lead back to the Lopes with an eighth-inning home run to straightaway center field for his third RBI of the day.
GCU quickly recorded two outs in the bottom of the eighth but a triple and two walks loaded the bases. The Trailblazers' leading hitter, sophomore second baseman Kyle McDaniel, came through with a two-run, go-ahead single that proved to be the game-winning hit.
Wakefield and Yorke were joined in the multi-hit department by sophomore second baseman Troy Sanders.
Making his first career start in his home region, junior righty Isaac Lyon set a season high with 103 pitches to navigate 6 1/3 innings. He exited with a 4-2 lead intact before his inherited runners later scored.
GCU will look to bounce back and even the series when the two clubs meet on Friday at 5 p.m. (Phoenix time).
The Lopes (22-15, 9-4 WAC) held a 4-0 lead and bounced back to reclaim a 5-4 lead after Utah Tech tied it. The Trailblazers (16-20, 2-8 WAC) landed the final blow with a two-run single coming with two outs in the eighth to take the lead.
GCU mounted a comeback effort in the top of the ninth with the first two batters reaching and junior right fielder Josh Wakefield singling to load the bases, but the Lopes could not push across the tying run.
The Lopes built their early lead largely due to the efforts of junior first baseman Zach Yorke and sophomore designated hitter Cannon Peery. Yorke used a productive out to drive in a run in the first. He drove in another run on a single in the third, before Peery hammered his first home run of the season to give the Lopes a 4-0 lead.
Utah Tech posted single tallies in the third and fourth before tying the game in the seventh.
Yorke gave the lead back to the Lopes with an eighth-inning home run to straightaway center field for his third RBI of the day.
GCU quickly recorded two outs in the bottom of the eighth but a triple and two walks loaded the bases. The Trailblazers' leading hitter, sophomore second baseman Kyle McDaniel, came through with a two-run, go-ahead single that proved to be the game-winning hit.
Wakefield and Yorke were joined in the multi-hit department by sophomore second baseman Troy Sanders.
Making his first career start in his home region, junior righty Isaac Lyon set a season high with 103 pitches to navigate 6 1/3 innings. He exited with a 4-2 lead intact before his inherited runners later scored.
GCU will look to bounce back and even the series when the two clubs meet on Friday at 5 p.m. (Phoenix time).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Tyler Ray (3-1)
L: Quinn, Walter (2-2)
S: Ryan Kroepel (5)
Batting:
HR: Yorke, Zach 1 ; Peery, Cannon 1
RBI: Yorke, Zach 3 ; Peery, Cannon 2
SH: Wakefield, Josh 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Barreras, Emilio 1 ; Ohland, Carson 1 ; Yorke, Zach 2 ; Peery, Cannon 1
CS: Sanders, Troy 1
HBP: Pelc, Eddy 1 ; Galvan, Marcus 1
Batting:
2B: Kyle McDaniel 1 ; Hunter Katschke 1 ; Petey Soto Jr. 1
3B: Levi Randall 1
RBI: Kyle McDaniel 2 ; Hunter Katschke 2 ; Finnegan Stewart 1 ; Petey Soto Jr. 1
SH: Ethan Royal 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kyle McDaniel 2 ; Levi Randall 2 ; Ethan Royal 2
SB: Ethan Royal 1
CS: Levi Randall 1
HBP: Ryan Kroepel 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
3
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
RHP
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INF
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