Diaz's 7-RBI day caps sweep of CBU

Sunday, April 6

Riverside, Calif.

12 p.m.

Grand Canyon

21-11, 8-1

California Baptist

17-15, 4-5

Grand Canyon

California Baptist

4/6/2025 4:27:00 PM | Baseball

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Lopes tally 42 runs on weekend, most in a 3-game series since 1994

By: Josh Hauser

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Grand Canyon exploded for 18 runs on 20 hits to complete a three-game sweep of California Baptist on Sunday, winning 18-13 in a wild offensive showcase at Totman Stadium.

GCU senior left fielder Michael Diaz led the charge with another impressive offensive display to cap a monstrous weekend at the plate. On the day, Diaz went 3 for 6 with seven RBIs, including a grand slam. On the weekend, Diaz tallied eight hits, 16 RBIs and four home runs. His last hit was the exclamation point: a seventh-inning grand slam to put the Lopes in front 18-7.

"They were all critical," GCU head coach Gregg Wallis said. "That's what you would call being in the zone. I don't know that I've seen a player that hot in one weekend in my career. Every time Michael came up in a big situation, he got the barrel on the ball and hit it a long way."

Following 13- and 11-run efforts on Friday and Saturday, the Lopes (21-11, 8-1 WAC) totaled 42 runs in the series against a good California Baptist pitching staff that entered the weekend with the nation's No. 29 earned run average (4.01). The 42-run series marked the most runs scored in a three-game series since GCU scored 52 against Southern Utah in May 1994.

The Lopes stayed atop the conference standings, one game up on Utah Valley (7-2). The WAC leaders will meet for a key three-game series in Phoenix this weekend.

The theme of the GCU's run-scoring on Sunday was clutch, two-out hitting. Of the 18 runs, 16 came with two outs. That included seven two-out, run-scoring hits with three from Diaz.

"We talked about that postgame — it's never over," Wallis said. "Fifteen two-out RBIs? That's who we have to be. That's got to be our identity."

The Lopes jumped out early with five runs in the first inning (all with two outs) and never looked back, scoring in six of the first seven frames.

GCU sophomore third baseman Cannon Peery added three hits, two doubles and two RBIs. Graduate center fielder Eddy Pelc went 3 for 5 with three doubles, the Lopes' first three-double game since Elijah Buries on April 15, 2023. Senior second baseman Eli Paton drove in three as one of eight GCU players recording an RBI. Five Lopes had three-hit days.

GCU set season highs in hits, runs, RBIs and doubles, while Diaz's grand slam was the team's first of the season.

On the mound, junior left-hander Chance Key earned the start and allowed four runs in three innings. He was backed by Elijah Higginbottom, Jace Smith, Ross Clark and Cam Cunnings to cover the final six innings.

GCU has defeated CBU nine consecutive times and 14 of the last 15, dating back to 2022. In that span, CBU is 54-30 (.643) against non-GCU conference opponents.

"California Baptist is a great program," Wallis said. "They're having a great season, and you always have to play your best to beat them. So it was great to come in here and get the sweep."

Entering the weekend, CBU had given up double-digit runs just twice this season before the Lopes did it in all three games. The Lancers had now allowed double-digit runs in three consecutive games since 2002.

The Lopes have won 18 straight WAC series and 21 straight WAC road series. GCU continues to match its 2022 team — which earned an NCAA tournament at-large bid — for best record to start a season in the program's Division I era. With the 4-1 week that began with beating Arizona, GCU's NCAA RPI ranking jumped to No. 53.

The importance of upcoming games on the Lopes' schedule does not lessen with second-place Utah Valley coming to Phoenix. The three-game series will feature games on Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 12 p.m.