Completed Event: Baseball versus UNLV on April 11, 2026 , Win , 6, to, 1
Baseball
vs UNLV
W 6-1
Grand Canyon University Athletics
2023 Baseball Roster
Roster
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Jersey Number 21
Zach Thornton
- Position:
- LHP
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-3 / 170
- Class:
- Junior
- B/T:
- L/L
- Hometown:
- Lawrence, Kan.
- HS:
- Lawrence Free State
- Prev School:
- Barton CC
 |
2023 MLB Draft
|
Lopes in the Pros 106th pick View full history |
 |
Grand Canyon |
2023 | Junior
- One of 60 semifinalists for the Dick Howser Trophy, an elite college baseball honor given to the nation's top player.
- One of three Lopes to be invited to the MLB Draft Combine in June 2023.
- Earned All-WAC second-team honors as a starting pitcher.
- Two-time WAC Pitcher of the Week: Feb. 20 (first D-I start with 5 2/3 scoreless in opening day win against UC San Diego) and March 13 (seven shutout innings with 13 strikeouts against New Mexico State).
- Led the Lopes in ERA (3.87), wins (9), innings (88 1/3) and strikeouts (91).
- Wins came against: UC San Diego; a four-game win streak against New Mexico State, Sacramento State, Sam Houston, Utah Valley; and a second four-game win streak against Nevada, Tarleton, UT Rio Grande Valley and California Baptist.
- Pitched at least five innings in 14 of 15 starts. Pitched at least six innings in nine starts.
- Combined for a shutout with Cody Tucker in a 1-0 win over Ohio State on Feb. 23.
- Logged double-digit strikeout outings against Ohio State (11 on Feb. 23) and New Mexico State (13 on March 10).
- Three of first four outings were scoreless, including a D-I debut on Opening Day in a nationally televised game against eventual Big West Champion UC San Diego.
- Eclipsed the 100-pitch mark in four starts. Fell just two outs shy of a nine-inning complete game in a 109-pitch outing at Tarleton on May 6.
- Recognized by Perfect Game as one of the nation's top 50 junior college recruits to make it to Division I campuses.
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Barton CC |
Great Bend, Kan. |
- Spent two seasons (2021 and 2022) with the Cougars program.
- Made 29 career appearances, 28 of them starts. Went 16-1 with a 3.23 ERA spanning 139 1/3 innings. Struck out 170 and walked 47.
- Went 9-0 with a 2.63 ERA in his sophomore season in 2022.
- Racked up many honors in 2022 including first team all-conference, conference pitcher of the year runner up, first team all-region and third team all-American.
- As a freshman in 2021, earned honorable mention all-conference.
Summer Leagues |
- 2022: Elizabethton River Riders | Appalachian League | Elizabethton, Tenn.
- 2021: Great Bend Bat Cats | Sunflower Collegiate League | Great Bend, Kan. (Stats)
Lawrence Free State |
Lawrence, Kan. |
- Played club for Next Level Baseball Academy (Kansas) and HTP Academy (Minnesota).
Personal |
- Parents are Paul and Julie Thornton.
- Father, Paul, ran track at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn. from 1989 to 1993. He was a conference champion in the 1,000-meter run in 1993.
- Mother, Julie, participated in track and field, cross country and soccer at Lewis & Clark College and St. Olaf College from 1988 to 1992. She was an All-American in heptathlon in 1991 and 1992 and was inducted into the school's athletics hall of fame.
- Grandfather ran track and Kansas and graduated in 1964.
- Helped come to GCU through mutual connection with Lopes track and field assistant coach Todd Lehman.
- Says the best part of competing in baseball is: "competing under any circumstance, love the pressure, love the team spirit."
- Favorite TV shows are The Blacklist and Modern Family.
- Favorite pro sports team is the St. Louis Cardinals.
- Favorite athletes to watch growing up include Yadier Molina, Adrian Peterson and Max Fried.
Singles off BOTH bags. ONE inning. 🤯 #baseball
Sunday, April 12
Schmidt's 3-run blast vs. ASU #collegebaseball
Wednesday, April 08
Fired up! Frey celebrates complete game shutout #collegebaseball
Saturday, April 04
GCU Baseball at Fresno State (Game 1) - Highlights
Friday, April 03
