Completed Event: Baseball at Arizona on March 3, 2026 , Win , 7, to, 5
Baseball
at Arizona
W 7-5
Grand Canyon University Athletics
2023 Baseball Roster
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Jersey Number 2
Jacob Wilson
- Position:
- INF
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-3 / 190
- Class:
- Junior
- B/T:
- R/R
- Hometown:
- Thousand Oaks, Calif.
- HS:
- Thousand Oaks
- Major:
- B.S. in Sports Management
- Opendorse NIL:
- View profile
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2023 MLB Draft
|
Lopes in the Pros 104th pick 16th MLB player View full history |
| Watch | GCU feature: Jacob Wilson Read | Born to baseball: Wilson becomes top prospect |
Career Summary |
- Became GCU's highest MLB Draft selection when the Oakland Athletics selected him at No. 6 overall in 2023.
- One of the most decorated players in GCU history, Wilson is a top-10 MLB Draft prospect and a consensus All-American.
- Held the program record for career hits (D-I era) with 224 and set GCU marks for career RBIs (D-I) with 155, and single-season batting average (D-I) at .411 in 2023.
- Three-time first-team All-WAC honoree and the 2023 WAC Defensive Player of the Year.
- Also had an extensive run with the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team in the summer of 2022, qualifying for the roster and leading the team in most offensive categories.
- Was the toughest batter to strike out in the nation in back-to-back seasons in 2022 and 2023. Struck out just 31 times in 620 career at bats (5.0%) and only 12 times in 438 at bats (2.7%) in his final two seasons. Read more.
- Helped lead GCU to WAC regular-season championships in all three seasons and the program's first two NCAA tournament appearances in 2021 and 2022.
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Grand Canyon |
2023 | Junior
- Earned status as a consensus All-American after earning recognition from all five major national publications, successfully following up preseason honors from all five publications.
- One of three Lopes to be invited to the MLB Draft Combine in June 2023.
- Earned All-WAC first-team honors for the third straight season and was named WAC Defensive Player of the Year.
- Was the nation's toughest batter to strike out for the second consecutive season, doing so just five times in 192 at bats (once per 38.4 at bats). His fifth and final strikeout of the season came on March 31, meaning he did not strike out in his final 97 at bats of the season.
- One of 25 national semifinalists for the Golden Spikes Award honoring the top player in college baseball. Second straight year appearing as a semifinalist after also landing on preseason and midseason watch lists.
- Landed on the first team of the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings All-West Region Team.
- Led the Lopes in batting average (.411), triples (4), tied for RBIs (61) and slugging (.635).
- His .411 batting average was the best single-season mark by a player in the program's D-I history and tied for ninth in the program's all-time history. It ranked No. 10 nationally in 2023.
- After stealing one base in his first two seasons, stole eight bases on nine attempts.
- Hit go-ahead grand slams on back-to-back days to help the Lopes sweep Utah Tech in late April. The first grand slam was his 200th career hit.
- Hit his first grand slam of the season to push GCU to a series-opening win at Sacramento State on March 17.
- In games nationally televised on MLB Network, hit a triple in his first at bat of the season and also tripled off of touted Tennessee arm Chase Burns to help further solidify his draft stock.
- Named WAC Hitter of the Week on two occasions: Feb. 27 (seven hits, nine RBIs vs. Gonzaga, Ohio State) and March 13 (12 hits, six RBIs vs. New Mexico State, Arizona).
- Became the program's career RBIs leader in the D-I era on April 28 in Reno, Nevada, against Long Beach State. Finished with 155 career RBIs.
- After summer success in Cape Cod League and with USA Collegiate National Team, Wilson was named D1Baseball.com's Summer Breakout Prospect. Wilson's 'dream summer' was chronicled here.
- One of 31 national semifinalists for the Golden Spikes Award honoring the top player in college baseball.
- A first-team All-WAC pick at shortstop and All-Defensive Team selection.
- Was the toughest batter in the nation to strike out, doing so just seven times in 246 at bats (once every 35.1 at bats). The second- and third-place batters nationally were every 24.2 at bats and every 18.5 at bats, respectively.
- Led the Lopes in hits (88) and doubles (18) and ranked second in batting average (.358).
- Was fifth in the WAC in hits (88), tied for fourth in doubles (18) and fifth in RBIs (65). In conference play, was tied for third in hits (47) and tied for fourth in RBIs (35).
- Tied for third in GCU's single-season RBI rankings at the D-I level with 65.
- Named the nation's hitter of the week by several publications on March 22, capping an 18-for-23 (.783) week in two games at No. 5 Oregon State and three games against Utah Valley. NCBWA, Perfect Game, Collegiate Baseball, D1Baseball.com At one point during the week, Wilson had base hits in 10 consecutive at bats.
- Went 4 for 8 (.500) with a double and a home run in GCU's two games in the Stillwater Regional.
- Had 11 games with three or more hits.
- Had first career five-hit game against Utah Valley on March 19.
- Hit a three-run homer in the top of the ninth to break a tie and help the Lopes defeat UC San Diego 9-6 on March 1.
- Hit a go-ahead home run in the sixth inning to lead GCU to a win at Arizona State on March 22.
- Hit three doubles at Utah Valley on April 29, the first three-double performance by a Lope since the same date four years prior.
- Named a Freshman All-American alongside teammates Elijah Buries and Carter Young.
- Earned All-WAC first-team honors, continuing a tradition of four straight first-team selections at third base by a GCU player: Tyler Wyatt (2017 and 2019) and Zach Malis (2018).
- Went 5 for 9 (.555) with a double and a home run in the Tucson Regional.
- Hit four home runs on the year, all coming between May 1 and June 5. First career homer came at Sacramento State on May 1.
- Finished the season on a tear, raising average from .267 on April 20 to end the year at .313.
- Finished third on the team with 11 doubles.
- Was one of the nation's 60 toughest batters to strike out with only 19 in 182 at bats.
- Started every game at third base outside of a 16-game stretch in mid-to-late March missed due to injury.
- One of GCU's seven everyday starters to hit over .300 on the season.
- GCU was 23-12 when Wilson started in the No. 2 spot in the lineup.
- Had four three-hit games on the year coming against the likes of Oklahoma State, Sacramento State and in a regional game at Arizona.
- Had a season-best four RBIs at Tarleton on May 15 before then setting a season-best with three runs scored the following day.
- Hit a home run in a WAC tournament blowout of No. 2-seeded Sacramento State on May 28.
- Named one of the WAC's top-five freshmen entering the season by Perfect Game on a list dominated by GCU freshmen.
- Was named Rookie of the Year in GCU's fall camp, Camp Canyon.
Summer Leagues |
- 2022: USA Baseball Collegiate National Team
- 2022: Orleans Firebirds | Cape Cod League | Orleans, Mass.
- 2021: Mankato MoonDogs | Northwoods League | Mankato, Minn.
Thousand Oaks HS |
Thousand Oaks, Calif. |
- Known as an exceptional middle-infield defender, committing just six errors in 91 career games.
- From the plate, he struck out just six times in 332 at bats.
- Was off to a 14-for-24 (.583) start in his COVID-shortened senior season.
- Helped lead the Lancers to a 24-6 mark as a junior in 2019, claiming a league title which he cites as his favorite sports memory to date.
- Was teammates with fellow GCU players Blake and Vince Reilly.
- Father, Jack, served as the team's head coach.
Personal |
- Parents are Jack and Julie Wilson.
- Father, Jack, had a 12-year MLB career including nine years with the Pirates, three with the Mariners and two with the Braves. Now a GCU grad, Jack was an MLB All-Star in 2004 after logging career-best numbers including a .308 batting average and .459 slugging percentage. Finished career with 1,294 hits and 426 RBIs. "Watching my Dad play is how I fell in love with the game."
- Jacob was born during Jack's second MLB season and was 10 by the time Jack retired. "He just loved baseball. He loved going to the field every day. It was fun to watch him fall in love with the game."
- Father, Jack, was an assistant coach on the Lopes staff for the 2023 season.
- Chose GCU for the coaches, the campus and the culture. "I really wanted to find a place that put God first and continue my relationship growing with Jesus."
- Shortly after receiving his GCU offer, committed to the program after winning a randomly selected prize of a Tim Salmon baseball card, GCU's most successful Big Leaguer, on a Dave and Buster's visit with Jack. "We took it as a sign from God and ever since then, I committed to GCU and never regretted it."
- Was GCU's youngest scholarship offer in the program's D-I era and committed on the first day of his sophomore school year.
- Was a freshman-year roommate of Homer Bush Jr., with the room in GCU's Willow Hall hosting two would-be top-100 MLB Draft prospects.
- Favorite pro sports team is the Pittsburgh Pirates.
GCU Baseball at Arizona - 9th-Inning Highlights
Wednesday, March 04
GCU Baseball vs. Pacific - Cannon Peery's fourth homer of season
Saturday, February 28
GCU Baseball vs. Pacific - Tanner Johns' go-ahead double
Saturday, February 28
GCU Baseball vs. Oklahoma State (Game 1) - Highlights
Friday, February 20
