Phoenix, AZ: Pitchers and catchers reported for spring training in the Arizona desert for Cactus League spring training this past week. However, that’s not the only big baseball story in the Valley. Many MLB pitchers, scouts, and baseball fans are prepared to flock to GCU friday night as baseball powerhouse and College World Series participant TCU travels to open their season in Phoenix. The Lopes are opening their brand new 3,500 seat stadium against the number 7 ranked Horned Frogs and much like the basketball team, are celebrating their first season of being eligible for postseason play. Many people will come see the Frogs in Phoenix, but baseball scouts are looking to find the next big thing in college baseball. Friday night marks a new era for the Lopes and it begins their quest of being college baseball’s next mid major power.
The defending WAC champions return a majority of their roster from a team that went 29-25 and 20-4 in conference. This is their second title since joining the WAC, making them the only team to win their conference twice during the four year transition period that occurs when a school moves to division one. The Lopes return a solid pitching staff with starters headlined by junior ace Jake Wong. After a solid start to the season where he ranked in the Top 20 in ERA, Wong folded down the stretch and ended the year with a 5-3 record and an ERA around 4.00. After a fantastic performance in the competitive Cape Cod league, Wong has seen his name mentioned on many MLB draft boards. He is destined to have a breakout year and will be essential to the Lope’s success.
The rest of the GCU lineup is built on speed and athleticism. The Lopes are lead by leadoff hitter and infielder Austin Bull who was a first All-WAC selection after hitting .339 in 218 at bats last year. Sophomore outfielder Quinn Cotton is a breakout candidate after hitting .339 in the Alaskan league last summer, which was good enough for him to earn the Alaskan player of the year title. GCU hitters Ian Evans, Preston Pavillcia, Griffin Barnes and Zach Malis all provide experience in the Lopes lineup. The offense is not necessarily going to scare many teams, but they have the potential to be quietly productive and compliment the dominant pitching staff well.
The Lopes have been preparing for this 2018 season for a while. During the 4 year transition period, they routinely played tough non-conference competition, battling the likes of Oklahoma, Tennessee and Arizona. Now being tournament eligible, the Lopes are not backing down by opening their season against one of the best college baseball programs in the country. GCU was not looking for an opponent that would give them a guaranteed win to debut their stadium. By scheduling TCU, Grand Canyon may have accomplished the exact opposite. The Horned Frogs have made the College World Series the last 4 years and an appearance in 2018 would make the Horned Frogs the second team in history to accomplish the feat in 5 consecutive years. The Lopes will open the season against TCU ace and 2nd team All American Jared Janczak. This opening series against TCU is regarded as one of the top opening matchups in College Baseball despite the fact that teams playing their first season with tournament eligibility don’t generate that much hype. It’s apparent that something special is brewing at GCU.
The Lopes will face a tough and much needed test to begin their historic season. In addition to TCU, the Lopes will play other top baseball programs such as Arizona and Cal St Fullerton before the conference schedule enters full swing.
The interesting thing about this opening series is TCU is traveling to a school that is basically a mirror image of their team before the current string of dominance. The schools share similar colors, logos and religious affiliations. On the field, they also share the same roots because GCU is a little giant that is ready to break out. They are both programs that a top team doesn’t want to see in their regional game because despite their small size, they have all the resources and talent needed to compete on a national level. As GCU’s profile begins to grow, it will be a desired destination for the top baseball talent in the western part of the country because of its location and new stadium, which is one of the nicest in the nation. Don’t sleep on the Lopes, they will be on top of the baseball world before we know it.