With 22-0 record, GCU heads to San Diego

Thursday, March 5

San Diego, Calif.

4 p.m.

Grand Canyon

Wisconsin

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Photo by: Bryce Fairchild

3/4/2026 4:15:00 PM | Softball

GCU needs 2 more victories for program-record winning streak

By: Braden Dohrmann

San Diego Classic \| March 5-7 \| SDSU Softball Stadium & USD Softball Complex \| San Diego, Calif.

	GRAND CANYON LOPES (22-0)	vs.	WISCONSIN BADGERS (13-6)
			NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH (7-12)
			SAN DIEGO TOREROS (10-9)
			PRINCETON TIGERS (5-4)

Grand Canyon hits the road for the first time this season with five games in San Diego to test its undefeated record this week.

HEADLINES

GCU went 6-0 in the GCU/ASU Classic in Week 4, moving to 22-0 with wins highlighted by defeating Wisconsin.
The Lopes are unanimously ranked in the major top0-25 polls — No. 23 in ESPN/USA Softball, No. 20 in Softball America and NFCA and No. 22 in D1Softball). They have the best record in the nation.
Grand Canyon has won 31 consecutive games at GCU Softball Stadium, winning 46 of its last 48 games overall.
GCU has a .702 all-time winning percentage at home.
Head coach Shanon Hays crossed the 200-win mark at Grand Canyon in just his fifth season with a Feb. 26 win against Minnesota. GCU holds the fourth-best winning percentage in the country since Hays arrived in Phoenix.
The Lopes are one of three undefeated teams in the nation, joning No. 1 Tennessee (20-0) and No. 6 Alabama (20-0).
Senior center fielder Sydney McCray had eight hits, 11 runs and seven stolen bases last weekend in the leadoff spot. She is 14 for 14 on stolen base attempts this season and has the most hits on the team (24).
Freshman outfielder Addison Shifflett leads the team in batting average (.460) with 23 hits, three home runs and a seven-game hit streak.
Senior utility player Emily Gonzalez took home Mountain West Player of the Week for Week 3, hitting .625 on the weekend, including three home runs and four consecutive multi-hit games.
GCU shut out its opponent in four of the six games during last weekend's GCU/ASU Classic. The Lopes have 12 shutouts in 22 games.
Senior right-hander Taryn Batterton allowed her first runs of the season in Week 3, breaking a nation-leading streak of 28 scoreless innings to start the season. She is 6-0 on the season with a 1.30 ERA.
GCU has three upcoming midweek matchups against top-25 teams Oklahoma State, Arizona and Arizona State.
GCU holds the fifth-best ERA in the nation after Week 4 (1.30).
Grand Canyon returns 248 innings pitched from the 2025 season. The staff held the third-best ERA in the nation last season.

SCOUTING WISCONSIN

Wisconsin is 13-6 coming off the GCU/ASU Classic, where they went 2-3 with losses to Grand Canyon, Arizona State and California Baptist.
GCU is 2-0 all-time against the Badgers, with both games taking place at GCU Softball Stadium, including last Friday's matchup in which the Lopes held onto a 9-8 win.

SCOUTING NOTRE DAME

The Fighting Irish enter the weekend with a 7-12 record and an eight-game losing streak.
GCU and Notre Dame have never played but will face off twice this weekend.

SCOUTING SAN DIEGO

The Toreros enter with a 10-9 record after a 3-1 weekend, when their lone loss came against San Diego State at home.
GCU and San Diego have played nine times prior to Friday's game, with the Lopes winning every time. GCU beat USD two weekends ago at GCU Softball Stadium.

SCOUTING PRINCETON

The Tigers enter with a 5-4 record, losing close games to one-loss North Carolina and common-opponent North Florida.
GCU is 5-0 all-time against Princeton, winning two at home and three games on neutral ground.

LAST TIME OUT

GCU/ASU CLASSIC

The Lopes shut out their opponent in four of the six games in the GCU/ASU Classic.
Grand Canyon senior Sydney McCray had four hits in the Lopes' 9-8 win over Wisconsin.
Lopes freshman Addison Shifflett had a hit in all six games, giving her a hitting streak of seven games.