Completed Event: Baseball at San José State on May 3, 2026 , Loss , 1, to, 6
Baseball
at San José State
L 1-6
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Friday, May 8
Phoenix, Ariz.
7 p.m.
Grand Canyon
18-28, 8-11
6
vs
5
New Mexico
26-21-1, 11-10-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 1 |
| Grand Canyon | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 4 |
Photo by: Kaily Green
Peery’s replay-reviewed walk-off lifts Lopes in extras
5/8/2026 10:59:00 PM | Baseball
Grand Canyon rallies from 4-run deficit, keeps pace in MW race with 2nd straight home walk-off
Grand Canyon waited out a delayed celebration Friday night, but junior first baseman Cannon Peery knew immediately.
Peery drove a 10th-inning pitch to left-center field, slid into third as the ball was initially ruled in play and instantly motioned toward the GCU dugout for a replay challenge.
After review, the call was overturned: the ball had hit the top of the fence, bounced off the netting and come back into play. The delayed walk-off home run celebration finally commenced, with Peery jogging the final 90 feet before being met by a shower and a Lopes celebration stretching into center field.
"I mean, I knew it was gone," Peery said. "I guess they didn't think so ... (assistant coach) Nate Causey gave me a good approach for that. Just got the head out and put a good swing on it."
The reviewed homer gave GCU a 6-5, 10-inning win over New Mexico at Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark, marking the Lopes' second straight home walk-off victory after their five-run ninth-inning comeback against Arizona on April 29.
GCU (18-28, 8-11 MW) also kept pace in the Mountain West race, where six teams qualify for the MW Championship. UNLV defeated Fresno State to remain tied with the Lopes, while San José State lost to San Diego State to fall a game behind GCU in the race for the final spot.
"Obviously Cannon put a good swing on it," GCU interim head coach Nathan Bannister said. "That was the plan. I heard him for two innings asking Causey what the plan was, and they were talking about cheating to hit a heater and hitting it to left-center. Good things happen when you're ready to hit."
The walk-off capped a comeback from a 4-0 deficit and followed GCU's tying swing in the ninth. Sophomore center fielder Griffin Cameron singled up the middle with one out, and sophomore shortstop Jake Sanko followed by driving a double to right-center, scoring Cameron from first to tie the game at 5-5. Sanko moved to third on a wild pitch, but GCU could not win it in the ninth after a double play extended the game.
"Obviously Griff to battle and get the single up the middle, and then Sanko just being ready to hit the fastball," Bannister said. "He's starting to find his groove, staying gap to gap. He's a good contact hitter. When he puts a good swing on a baseball, he can drive it to the oppo gap, and that's what he did."
GCU chipped away after New Mexico (26-21-1, 11-10-1 MW) scored four in the second inning. Graduate catcher Mito Perez started the climb with a solo homer to right field in the third, his third of the season. The Lopes added another run in the fourth when freshman right fielder Tanner Johns singled, Cameron doubled down the left-field line and Sanko reached on an error to score Johns.
Senior designated hitter Trevor Schmidt pulled GCU within one in the seventh, launching a two-run homer to right after Sanko's double. The homer was Schmidt's ninth of the season, briefly giving him the team lead before Peery tied him again with his ninth on the walk-off blast.
Junior left-hander Chase Frey absorbed the four-run second inning but responded with five strong frames after it, finishing with seven innings, six strikeouts and no walks. He held New Mexico scoreless in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth before an unearned run crossed in the seventh.
"Just that second inning got away from him," Bannister said. "He responded well. Giving up a four spot, he didn't crumble. He stayed on the attack and gave us another five solid innings after that."
Senior right-hander Cam Cunnings preserved the chance for the comeback, throwing three scoreless innings to earn the win. He allowed two hits and one walk while striking out three, including a clean 10th inning after GCU narrowly missed winning the game in the ninth.
"He's our guy out there, and there's no one else we want in those situations," Peery said.
With five regular-season games left, the Lopes remain in a postseason fight that Bannister framed with urgency.
"We can't control what other teams are doing," Bannister said. "We can control what we're doing. We have now five games left. So we want to treat every game like it's a Game 7."
GCU and New Mexico continue the three-game series Saturday at 7 p.m. at Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark.
Peery drove a 10th-inning pitch to left-center field, slid into third as the ball was initially ruled in play and instantly motioned toward the GCU dugout for a replay challenge.
After review, the call was overturned: the ball had hit the top of the fence, bounced off the netting and come back into play. The delayed walk-off home run celebration finally commenced, with Peery jogging the final 90 feet before being met by a shower and a Lopes celebration stretching into center field.
"I mean, I knew it was gone," Peery said. "I guess they didn't think so ... (assistant coach) Nate Causey gave me a good approach for that. Just got the head out and put a good swing on it."
The reviewed homer gave GCU a 6-5, 10-inning win over New Mexico at Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark, marking the Lopes' second straight home walk-off victory after their five-run ninth-inning comeback against Arizona on April 29.
GCU (18-28, 8-11 MW) also kept pace in the Mountain West race, where six teams qualify for the MW Championship. UNLV defeated Fresno State to remain tied with the Lopes, while San José State lost to San Diego State to fall a game behind GCU in the race for the final spot.
"Obviously Cannon put a good swing on it," GCU interim head coach Nathan Bannister said. "That was the plan. I heard him for two innings asking Causey what the plan was, and they were talking about cheating to hit a heater and hitting it to left-center. Good things happen when you're ready to hit."
The walk-off capped a comeback from a 4-0 deficit and followed GCU's tying swing in the ninth. Sophomore center fielder Griffin Cameron singled up the middle with one out, and sophomore shortstop Jake Sanko followed by driving a double to right-center, scoring Cameron from first to tie the game at 5-5. Sanko moved to third on a wild pitch, but GCU could not win it in the ninth after a double play extended the game.
"Obviously Griff to battle and get the single up the middle, and then Sanko just being ready to hit the fastball," Bannister said. "He's starting to find his groove, staying gap to gap. He's a good contact hitter. When he puts a good swing on a baseball, he can drive it to the oppo gap, and that's what he did."
GCU chipped away after New Mexico (26-21-1, 11-10-1 MW) scored four in the second inning. Graduate catcher Mito Perez started the climb with a solo homer to right field in the third, his third of the season. The Lopes added another run in the fourth when freshman right fielder Tanner Johns singled, Cameron doubled down the left-field line and Sanko reached on an error to score Johns.
Senior designated hitter Trevor Schmidt pulled GCU within one in the seventh, launching a two-run homer to right after Sanko's double. The homer was Schmidt's ninth of the season, briefly giving him the team lead before Peery tied him again with his ninth on the walk-off blast.
Junior left-hander Chase Frey absorbed the four-run second inning but responded with five strong frames after it, finishing with seven innings, six strikeouts and no walks. He held New Mexico scoreless in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth before an unearned run crossed in the seventh.
"Just that second inning got away from him," Bannister said. "He responded well. Giving up a four spot, he didn't crumble. He stayed on the attack and gave us another five solid innings after that."
Senior right-hander Cam Cunnings preserved the chance for the comeback, throwing three scoreless innings to earn the win. He allowed two hits and one walk while striking out three, including a clean 10th inning after GCU narrowly missed winning the game in the ninth.
"He's our guy out there, and there's no one else we want in those situations," Peery said.
With five regular-season games left, the Lopes remain in a postseason fight that Bannister framed with urgency.
"We can't control what other teams are doing," Bannister said. "We can control what we're doing. We have now five games left. So we want to treat every game like it's a Game 7."
GCU and New Mexico continue the three-game series Saturday at 7 p.m. at Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Cunnings, Cam (4-3)
L: Corkrean, Cooper (6-1)
Batting:
HR: Waslefsky, Karsen 1
RBI: Waslefsky, Karsen 3 ; Williams, Brodey 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mansy, Luke 1 ; Waslefsky, Karsen 1 ; Trujillo, Gene 1 ; Williams, Brodey 1 ; Diaz, Anthony 1
SB: Gianni, Antonio 1
HBP: Mansy, Luke 1 ; Trujillo, Gene 1
Batting:
2B: Sanko, Jake 2 ; Ohland, Carson 1 ; Cameron, Griffin 1
HR: Perez, Mito 1 ; Schmidt, Trevor 1 ; Peery, Cannon 1
RBI: Perez, Mito 1 ; Schmidt, Trevor 2 ; Sanko, Jake 1 ; Peery, Cannon 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Perez, Mito 1 ; Schmidt, Trevor 1 ; Sanko, Jake 1 ; Cameron, Griffin 1 ; Peery, Cannon 1 ; Johns, Tanner 1
CS: Perez, Mito 1
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
1B/OF
/ Baseball
1B
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
1B/OF
/ BaseballReplay Confirms: WALK-OFF BOMB! #collegebaseball
Saturday, May 09
Baseball vs. New Mexico - Cannon Peery Walk-off
Saturday, May 09
GCU Baseball at San José State (G2) - Chacon game winner and final out
Sunday, May 03
Baseball at San José State (G1) - Johns' homer
Saturday, May 02