Completed Event: Softball at Colorado State on May 2, 2026 , Win , 11, to, 2 , (5 inn.)
Softball
at Colorado State
W 11-2
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Saturday, May 2
Fort Collins, Colo.
11 a.m.
Grand Canyon
48-7
11
at
2
Colorado State
23-27
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Canyon | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 10 | 0 |
| Colorado State | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
Photo by: Braden Dohrmann
MW champs sweep CSU with run-rule win
5/2/2026 3:16:00 PM | Softball
GCU's Cooper, Gonzalez go yard to lead 11-run eruption
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Grand Canyon capped another historic regular season with a run-rule win over Colorado State, earning the team's sixth Mountain West sweep on the year.
With Saturday's 11-2, five-inning victory, GCU (48-7, 21-4 MW) has won 47 or more games in four consecutive seasons under head coach Shanon Hays and will be the top seed at next week's Mountain West Championship in Reno, Nevada.
"I told the girls to really appreciate what they have done this year," Hays said. "Any time you can win a championship, you must enjoy the moment and celebrate. We know there is still work to be done, but I hope this momentum can carry us into next week."
Lopes sophomore first baseman Jada Cooper kicked things into action right off the bat, homering for the 14th time this season to put the Lopes ahead 2-0. Cooper hit a towering fly ball that was right at the wall. Colorado State's left fielder got a glove on it, but the ball bounced out and over the fence.
Cooper tied the team lead for home runs this season with graduate left fielder Trinity Martin at 14. The Houston native now has 26 home runs in two GCU seasons, already tying her for the third-most all-time in GCU's Division I history. Cooper and Martin also have tied Kristin Fifield's program record for single-season home runs.
"Jada's patience really pays off when she has Trinity and Emily (Gonzalez) behind her," Hays said. "She knows that teams will pitch around her, but with the power hitters behind her, they still have to pitch to Jada at times. She takes advantage and has really matured as a hitter."
Cooper's first-inning blast also broke the program's record for team home runs in a single season. The 2023 record of 75 home runs has been passed by the 2026 squad, which has 77 home runs with the postseason ahead of them.
GCU added two more runs in the second inning and two more in the third as well to extend the lead to 6-1. In the second inning, GCU scored on junior shortstop Mackenzie Nolan's sacrifice fly and a RBI groundout by senior center fielder Sydney McCray.
Nolan and McCray each earned two hits on the day, with McCray's hit streak extending to nine games, the longest hit streak by any GCU player this season. She is now hitting .368 on the season.
In the top of the third, Gonzalez joined the home run party, hitting a two-run shot to the opposite field. The senior designated player now has 12 homers on the season after hitting three this weekend in Colorado.
With 25 home runs, Gonzalez trails Cooper by one over their two-year GCU careers.
After two-run innings in the first three frames, the Lopes struck for four more in the fourth inning. They scored on a McCray RBI single up the middle, Martin's RBI fielder's choice and freshman right fielder Addison Shifflett's two-RBI single that was hit hard and deflected off the pitcher.
In the circle, sophomore left-hander Oakley Vickers earned the start and win, going a solid 2 1/3 innings before sophomore right-hander Natalie Fritz finished the game with 2 2/3 innings. Vickers is 13-4 this season with a 2.28 ERA as the postseason looms.
Grand Canyon plays at 3 p.m. on Thursday in the MW Championship quarterfinals against the Wednesday winner of No. 4 seed New Mexico and No. 5 seed Fresno State. The Lopes sit at No. 30 in the RPI, with aspirations of an NCAA Tournament at-large berth, if needed.
With Saturday's 11-2, five-inning victory, GCU (48-7, 21-4 MW) has won 47 or more games in four consecutive seasons under head coach Shanon Hays and will be the top seed at next week's Mountain West Championship in Reno, Nevada.
"I told the girls to really appreciate what they have done this year," Hays said. "Any time you can win a championship, you must enjoy the moment and celebrate. We know there is still work to be done, but I hope this momentum can carry us into next week."
Lopes sophomore first baseman Jada Cooper kicked things into action right off the bat, homering for the 14th time this season to put the Lopes ahead 2-0. Cooper hit a towering fly ball that was right at the wall. Colorado State's left fielder got a glove on it, but the ball bounced out and over the fence.
Cooper tied the team lead for home runs this season with graduate left fielder Trinity Martin at 14. The Houston native now has 26 home runs in two GCU seasons, already tying her for the third-most all-time in GCU's Division I history. Cooper and Martin also have tied Kristin Fifield's program record for single-season home runs.
"Jada's patience really pays off when she has Trinity and Emily (Gonzalez) behind her," Hays said. "She knows that teams will pitch around her, but with the power hitters behind her, they still have to pitch to Jada at times. She takes advantage and has really matured as a hitter."
Cooper's first-inning blast also broke the program's record for team home runs in a single season. The 2023 record of 75 home runs has been passed by the 2026 squad, which has 77 home runs with the postseason ahead of them.
GCU added two more runs in the second inning and two more in the third as well to extend the lead to 6-1. In the second inning, GCU scored on junior shortstop Mackenzie Nolan's sacrifice fly and a RBI groundout by senior center fielder Sydney McCray.
Nolan and McCray each earned two hits on the day, with McCray's hit streak extending to nine games, the longest hit streak by any GCU player this season. She is now hitting .368 on the season.
In the top of the third, Gonzalez joined the home run party, hitting a two-run shot to the opposite field. The senior designated player now has 12 homers on the season after hitting three this weekend in Colorado.
With 25 home runs, Gonzalez trails Cooper by one over their two-year GCU careers.
After two-run innings in the first three frames, the Lopes struck for four more in the fourth inning. They scored on a McCray RBI single up the middle, Martin's RBI fielder's choice and freshman right fielder Addison Shifflett's two-RBI single that was hit hard and deflected off the pitcher.
In the circle, sophomore left-hander Oakley Vickers earned the start and win, going a solid 2 1/3 innings before sophomore right-hander Natalie Fritz finished the game with 2 2/3 innings. Vickers is 13-4 this season with a 2.28 ERA as the postseason looms.
Grand Canyon plays at 3 p.m. on Thursday in the MW Championship quarterfinals against the Wednesday winner of No. 4 seed New Mexico and No. 5 seed Fresno State. The Lopes sit at No. 30 in the RPI, with aspirations of an NCAA Tournament at-large berth, if needed.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Vickers, Oakley (13-4)
L: Wick, Reagan (11-12)
Batting:
2B: Nolan, Mackenzie 1 ; Shifflett, Addison 1
HR: Cooper, Jada 1 ; Gonzalez, Emily 1
RBI: Martin, Trinity 2 ; Nolan, Mackenzie 1 ; Cooper, Jada 2 ; Shifflett, Addison 2 ; Gonzalez, Emily 2 ; McCray, Sydney 2
SF: Nolan, Mackenzie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Martin, Trinity 1 ; Holtorf, Raegan 2 ; Nolan, Mackenzie 2 ; Lucas, Tinley 1 ; Williams, Briah 1 ; Cooper, Jada 1 ; Shifflett, Addison 1 ; Gonzalez, Emily 1 ; McCray, Sydney 1
Batting:
HR: Wilson, Jailey 1
RBI: Edwards, Abby 1 ; Wilson, Jailey 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Stucky, Lauren 1 ; Wilson, Jailey 1
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
LHP
/ SoftballTuesday, June 09
Thursday, May 21
Monday, May 18
Sunday, May 17