Completed Event: Softball at San Diego State on April 17, 2026 , Win , 12, to, 3 , (5 inn.)
Softball
at San Diego State
W 12-3
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 Colorado State 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 - GCU capped another historic regular season with a run-rule win over Colorado State, earning the team's sixth Mountain West sweep on the year.
Grand Canyon (48-7, 21-4 MW) has won 47+ 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," said Hays. "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."
Sophomore Jada Cooper kicked things into action right off the bat, homering for the 14th time this year, giving the Lopes a 2-0 lead. 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 for the HR.
Cooper tied the team lead for home runs this season with Trinity Martin at 14. She now has 26 total in year two of her GCU career, which is the third-most all time in GCU's division one history.
"Jada's patience really pays off when she has Trinity and Emily behind her," said Hays. "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."
Coop's first inning blast broke the program's team record in a single season as well. A record set back in 2023 of 75 home runs has been shattered by the 2026 squad, with the postseason ahead of them.
GCU added two more runs in the second and two more in the third as well to extend the lead to 6-1. In the second inning, GCU scored on a Mackenzie Nolan sacrifice fly and a Sydney McCray RBI groundout.
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.
In the top of the third, senior Emily Gonzalez joined the home run party, hitting a two-run shot to the opposite field. Gonzo now has 12 homers on the season and hit three on the weekend in Colorado.
Gonzalez trails Cooper by one home run in each of 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, a Martin RBI fielder's choice, and an Addison Shifflett two-RBI single that was hit hard and deflected off the pitcher.
In the circle, Oakley Vickers earned the start and win, going a solid 2 1/3 innings pitched, before Natalie Fritz finished the game out with 2 2/3 innings herself. Vickers is up to 13-4 on the year 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 winner of No. 4 New Mexico and No. 5 Fresno State. The Lopes sit at 30 in the RPI, with at-large aspirations, should they need them.
Grand Canyon (48-7, 21-4 MW) has won 47+ 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," said Hays. "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."
Sophomore Jada Cooper kicked things into action right off the bat, homering for the 14th time this year, giving the Lopes a 2-0 lead. 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 for the HR.
Cooper tied the team lead for home runs this season with Trinity Martin at 14. She now has 26 total in year two of her GCU career, which is the third-most all time in GCU's division one history.
"Jada's patience really pays off when she has Trinity and Emily behind her," said Hays. "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."
Coop's first inning blast broke the program's team record in a single season as well. A record set back in 2023 of 75 home runs has been shattered by the 2026 squad, with the postseason ahead of them.
GCU added two more runs in the second and two more in the third as well to extend the lead to 6-1. In the second inning, GCU scored on a Mackenzie Nolan sacrifice fly and a Sydney McCray RBI groundout.
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.
In the top of the third, senior Emily Gonzalez joined the home run party, hitting a two-run shot to the opposite field. Gonzo now has 12 homers on the season and hit three on the weekend in Colorado.
Gonzalez trails Cooper by one home run in each of 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, a Martin RBI fielder's choice, and an Addison Shifflett two-RBI single that was hit hard and deflected off the pitcher.
In the circle, Oakley Vickers earned the start and win, going a solid 2 1/3 innings pitched, before Natalie Fritz finished the game out with 2 2/3 innings herself. Vickers is up to 13-4 on the year 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 winner of No. 4 New Mexico and No. 5 Fresno State. The Lopes sit at 30 in the RPI, with at-large aspirations, should they need them.
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
UTIL
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
LHP
/ Softball#softball celebrates a 'SHIP on the BUS 🏆🚌
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