RIVERSIDE--- The California Baptist baseball program is set to welcome the first-place Grand Canyon Lopes for the first time since 2022 this weekend as Western Athletic Conference play continues. CBU is coming off a solid week, including a historic midweek game versus UNLV, and currently sits in second in the conference standings.
 

THE LANCERS AT A GLANCE

California Baptist posted another strong week as they ventured to Arlington, Texas, last week to take on the Mavericks. CBU came away with a 2-1 conference series win over UTA, courtesy of a pair of clutch hits from Nicholas Dumesnil to secure second place. The Lancers then returned home for an early Monday game against UNLV, where they scored the most runs in a single inning in CBU NCAA era history after posting 13 in the first. Gary Adcock's squad went on to beat the Rebels 19-3, improving CBU's record to 17-12 on the season.

CBU's bats have continued their hot streak and don't look to be stopping any time soon, as six Lancers currently own batting averages over .300. Extra-bases have also been flowing for CBU, with the Lancers sitting at the top of the WAC with the most doubles this season at 64 and owning the second-most home runs with 31. True freshman Chris Ramirez has been magnificent at shortstop for Coach Adcock but also currently owns the highest batting average at .337. Ramirez has plated 16 runs with two doubles and triples this season, posting 14 RBI on 31 hits. Dumesnil also sits at the top of the stat line, totaling a .331 batting average with 39 hits, 11 doubles, and four home runs this season.

From the mound, CBU's pitching has been impressive this season, as the squad owns a team ERA of 4.01. Cody New continues to dominate with a 2.42 ERA paired with a 1.23 WHIP and 40 sit-downs, good for a 3-1 pitching record. Ryan Kittredge has also earned some attention after four impressive starts have contributed directly to crucial Sunday conference wins. Kittredge owns a 3.25 ERA across 36 innings of work with 27 punchouts on the season.

SERIES INFORMATION

Opponent: Grand Canyon University

Dates/Times: Friday, April 4th (6:00 p.m. ); Saturday, April 5th (5:00 p.m.); Sunday, April 6th (12:00 p.m.)

Location: Riverside, CA

Video: ESPN+:  Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3

Live Stats: Statbroadcast: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 

SERIES NOTES

The Grand Canyon and California Baptist history on the diamond dates back to 1967, and recent seasons have seen the Lopes take the upper hand competitively. GCU has taken the last six games, while CBU's most recent win was in 2022 in Phoenix. The Lancers are 14-19 against GCU under Gary Adcock's tutelage.

THE LOPES AT A GLANCE

As front runners in the Western Athletic Conference, it's no surprise the Lopes have an impressive resume entering the weekend. The squad owns two ranked wins over Nebraska and Oregon earlier this season and has bested Abilene Christian and Seattle U thus far in conference play. The Lopes have also picked up the WAC's first sweep over another conference opponent this season, sweeping the Redhawks 3-0 at home in Phoenix. All in all, GCU enters the weekend with an 18-11 season record and is 5-1 in conference.

Gregg Wallis' squad is coming off an interesting week after hosting a pair of midweek tilts before heading to Riverside. The Lopes took down a very good University of Arizona squad on Tuesday evening 11-5 before turning around to face Fullerton on Wednesday, where they fell 4-2 against the Titans. It is uncommon for a team to play two midweek games prior to a conference series, but with a 4-1 record in their last five games, the Lopes will be looking to ride their hot streak through CBU.

GCU has just two Lopes hitting above .300, while the team combines for a .282 batting average. Zach Yorke leads the squad with a .358 average, totaling a 1.060 OPS with 34 hits, five doubles, and five home runs. The junior battles at the plate well, posting 28 walks and a .492 on-base percentage. Just behind Yorke is Cannon a Perry, a sophomore infielder who has risen through the ranks recently and owns a .308 batting average with seven doubles. On the pitching side, the Lopes have a team ERA of 4.19 and have a solid pair of starters that have helped the squad to several wins this season. Isaac Lyon sits at the top of the list with a 3.52 ERA and 44 strikeouts this season, while Garret Ahern owns a 3.11 ERA and a 3-1 pitching record. Connor Mattison has also been stellar in relief for the Lopes, posting a 3.68 ERA on 22 innings with 24 punchouts. The sophomore right-hander has two pitching wins and one save on the season thus far.