GCU plays 49 of 56 matchups against teams from Arizona, adjacent states
(Phoenix, AZ) The Grand Canyon baseball team’s 2022 schedule was released on Thursday and showcases some of the region’s best opposition. The Lopes, coming off their first NCAA Division I tournament appearance, are set to face seven fellow 2021 NCAA tournament teams, including Arizona, Arizona State, Nevada, Oregon State, Stanford, Texas Tech and UC Irvine.
In his 11th season, GCU head coach Andy Stankiewicz compiled a schedule that features 49 of 56 games against opposition from Arizona or the surrounding states. Seventeen of the Lopes’ 25 nonconference games are against teams coming off NCAA tournament appearances.
“When you really dive into the schedule and look at the teams we’re playing, it’s seven teams that made the postseason last year,” Stankiewicz said. “Three out of the six Pac-12 schools that went to the postseason, we’re facing. It’s a very competitive schedule and possibly one of the toughest that we’ve had since we’ve been here.”
GCU’s season opens at home for the eighth consecutive year. The Lopes host reigning Mountain West champion Nevada for a three-game set with opening night’s 6 p.m. game airing on FOX 10 Xtra.
After opening weekend, the Lopes face more opponents from last season’s NCAA tournament when they make their first of two trips to Tucson to play Arizona and stay on the road for a three-game series at UC Irvine.
“That’s the way we’ve always done it,” Stankiewicz said. “Trying to create as much competitiveness as we can in the scheduling and challenging ourselves. We feel like that’s going to continue being a part of our success late in the season and the conference tournament. This year looks no different than the others in terms of tough competition.”
The restructuring of the WAC caused an abnormal schedule in which conference play begins in the third weekend of the season and includes two bye weekends during conference play. GCU filled its conference byes with challenging opponents, hosting San Diego on March 11-13 and traveling to San Diego State to play a four-game weekend against the host Aztecs and Stanford on April 21-23.
“We had two byes to fill and we’re excited about playing these three California teams,” Stankiewicz said. “San Diego will be here with a new coaching staff. When I was a scout for the Yankees, I drafted (Toreros new head coach) Brock Ungricht from San Diego State. It’s cool to see what he’s done in his career. We’ve gone there and played them before, but now they’re going to come here this year. The other bye weekend we go and play the Aztecs. If you know baseball in the West Coast, they’ve been one of the better clubs in the Mountain West. And we included Stanford in that weekend as well. From a bye weekend standpoint, we’ll have seven really tough ballgames.”
Nonconference play includes the usual slate of mid-week matchups against the likes of Arizona, Arizona State, CSUN, Oregon State, Texas Tech and UC San Diego.
“Midweeks will allow us to see some of our younger players,” Stankiewicz said. “We’re excited about some of the young arms that we have in our program that we want to give the ball to on the midweek. And look at who we’re playing. The midweeks are tough, but we feel like we have some depth on this year’s pitching staff that will allow us to compete against those programs with some new arms.”
For this season, WAC play includes matchups only within GCU’s division, the Far West division. The Lopes will play home and away series against California Baptist, New Mexico State, Sacramento State and Utah Valley. GCU will only play one series with Dixie State (away) and Seattle U (home). Additionally, the four-game series format that was used as a COVID-19 precaution last season is returning to the normal three-game weekend series this season.
“We have a battle on our hands in the conference,” Stankiewicz said. “California Baptist and Sacramento State are right there and the others are always improving. We’re very happy to eliminate four-game weekends. Those were very taxing physically and emotionally. It’ll be good to get back to three-game series. It made sense for last year, but it’s good to get back to a regular format.”
GCU’s first potential look at the other half of the WAC would come in the conference tournament. Conference newcomers Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin mesh with returning WAC members Tarleton and UT Rio Grande Valley to make up the conference’s West division. Conference play is expected to include inter-division play in the regular-season schedule for 2023 when the conference will also include Incarnate Word.
The conference tournament returns to Mesa’s Hohokam Stadium May 25-29, the site where the Lopes dogpiled and celebrated their first WAC Tournament championship last spring.
Press Release courtesy of Grand Canyon Athletics – Josh Hauser
