Upcoming Event: Softball versus Pima CC on September 30, 2025 at 6 p.m.
Softball
6 p.m.
vs Pima CC
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Saturday, May 13
Phoenix, Ariz
1 p.m.
Grand Canyon
46-11
10
vs
2
Seattle U
36-20
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Seattle U
0
1
0
0
1
2
6
1
Grand Canyon
0
3
2
5
X
10
11
0
Twice as nice: WAC Tournament champs repeat
5/13/2023 3:00:00 PM | Softball, Paul Coro
GCU punches 2nd consecutive NCAA regional trip, runs win streak to 8
Home is where the heart of a champion is.
Grand Canyon softball defended its WAC Tournament title and its home field by demolishing Seattle U 10-2 for a five-inning, run-rule victory and the championship Saturday at GCU Softball Stadium.
The Lopes (46-11) emphatically punched their second consecutive NCAA tournament ticket in head coach Shanon Hays' two GCU seasons by continuing the year's power-hitting theme with three two-run home runs on Saturday.
"It feels good to live up to your potential at the right week," Hays said. "Timing was everything. It's easy to carry the pressure of being a favorite when you're playing on your own field and play tight. Our
girls did the opposite of playing tight. They went out there with great energy. Our pitching was a hair shaky, and our offense made it where it was easy."
Two of the nation's top-10 hitting teams met in the WAC Tournament championship round, but only GCU looked the part.
The Lopes continued battering tourney opponents, knocking around Seattle U with 11-for-23 hitting to complete a .500 team batting average for the tournament.
"That's stupid," a water cooler-drenched Hays said of the .500 clip for a team that entered the day ranked seventh nationally for batting at .328. "It's unbelievable."
GCU junior left fielder Kayla Rodgers rounded out her WAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player effort by preventing a go-ahead, three-run home run with a theatrical third-inning catch and finishing a sizzling 7-for-9 hitting tournament with one of the Lopes' three two-run home runs Saturday.
"This just goes back to my team," said Rodgers, the Yavapai College transfer who hits out of the No. 7 spot. "They push me every day in practice. They've really allowed me to be the best me I can be."
Another two-run home run belonged to national RBI leader Kristin Fifield, the GCU senior right fielder who moved into a tie for fourth nationally with her 21st home run of the season while increasing her double-digit national RBI lead with four more on Saturday. Fifield's 85 RBIs are three shy of the WAC single-season RBIs record, set by BYU's Delaney Willard in 2012.
Tied for the sixth-most wins in the nation, the Lopes moved their winning streak to eight games and increased their program-record victory total despite trailing 1-0 after a second-inning home run by Seattle U's Jocelyn De La Cruz, who has 12 of the Redhawks' 28 homers this season.
It was a short-lived lead when GCU put together a three-run, two-out rally in the bottom of the second. Continuing an outstanding tournament from the bottom third of the Lopes lineups, senior second baseman Macee Barnes doubled home Rodgers before Fifield lined a two-run single to center. On Fifield's hit, senior center fielder Hannah Burnett hit turbo to score from first base for a 3-1 GCU lead.
Seattle U nearly took back the lead in the third inning, when Rodgers made a leaping, inning-ending catch above the left-field wall to save a go-ahead, three-run home run. She said the Lopes practiced for that type of play all season, but game No. 57 offered the first chance for her to do it with Burnett offering confidence from center field that Rodgers had a beat on it.
Minutes later, Rodgers completed a five-run momentum swing when she took a moment to calm her energy rush and channeled her adrenaline into crushing a two-run home run to right field. Her second home run of the season extended the lead to 5-1.
"She's had a great tournament and made a great play that probably saved the game yesterday," Hays said of Rodgers throwing out a runner at second base in the Friday semifinal. "She's swinging it well at the right time."
With a combined pitching effort from sophomore Meghan Golden and senior Ariel Thompson and no errors, GCU put the margin into run-rule range when the bats broke out again for a five-run fourth inning.
Fifield's two-run home run started the fourth-inning scoring after Burnett singled and applied the pressure with her 34th stolen base in 35 tries this season.
GCU junior shortstop Katelyn Dunckel, now with a 15-game hitting streak, followed Fifield with a single before senior designated player Ramsay Lopez doubled home Dunckel and junior first baseman Kaitlyn Brannstrom creamed the final two-run home run to straightaway center field for a 10-1 lead. Brannstrom has more home runs (eight) in her first GCU season that in her two previous seasons combined with Purdue (seven).
The Lopes closed play at GCU Softball Stadium on Saturday with a 32-6 record there. With six starters and an ace back from last year's WAC Tournament title, Hays said he backed off this week and allowed the team leadership to handle the team's outlook. Their experience showed in confident, loose play.
"It's a dream come true, living in paradise out here," said Burnett, who is 11 for 17 in the past six games to bump her season's batting average to .426. "I'm so proud of this team with everything we've done together. We've been through slumps together. We've risen together. It's such a cool feeling to have a team as a family and have each other's backs. Everyone just played their best this weekend."
In addition to Rodgers winning WAC Outstanding MVP, the Lopes quartet of Burnett (4 for 8, two steals), Dunckel (5 for 9, 4 RBIs), Fifield (7 for 9, 8 RBIs)Â and Thompson (1.00 ERA) was named to the All-WAC Tournament Team.
GCU will learn its next destination at 4 p.m. (Phoenix time) on Sunday, when ESPN2 airs the NCAA Selection Show to unveil the 64-team bracket. Last year, the Lopes were sent to the UCLA Regional for their Division I NCAA tournament debut.
"Our No. 1 goal is always to make a regional," Hays said. "Our new goal is to go win Game 1. I'd be surprised if we're any lower than a 3 seed, so it'll probably be different than last year."
Â
Grand Canyon softball defended its WAC Tournament title and its home field by demolishing Seattle U 10-2 for a five-inning, run-rule victory and the championship Saturday at GCU Softball Stadium.
The Lopes (46-11) emphatically punched their second consecutive NCAA tournament ticket in head coach Shanon Hays' two GCU seasons by continuing the year's power-hitting theme with three two-run home runs on Saturday.
"It feels good to live up to your potential at the right week," Hays said. "Timing was everything. It's easy to carry the pressure of being a favorite when you're playing on your own field and play tight. Our
girls did the opposite of playing tight. They went out there with great energy. Our pitching was a hair shaky, and our offense made it where it was easy."Two of the nation's top-10 hitting teams met in the WAC Tournament championship round, but only GCU looked the part.
The Lopes continued battering tourney opponents, knocking around Seattle U with 11-for-23 hitting to complete a .500 team batting average for the tournament.
"That's stupid," a water cooler-drenched Hays said of the .500 clip for a team that entered the day ranked seventh nationally for batting at .328. "It's unbelievable."GCU junior left fielder Kayla Rodgers rounded out her WAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player effort by preventing a go-ahead, three-run home run with a theatrical third-inning catch and finishing a sizzling 7-for-9 hitting tournament with one of the Lopes' three two-run home runs Saturday.
"This just goes back to my team," said Rodgers, the Yavapai College transfer who hits out of the No. 7 spot. "They push me every day in practice. They've really allowed me to be the best me I can be."
Another two-run home run belonged to national RBI leader Kristin Fifield, the GCU senior right fielder who moved into a tie for fourth nationally with her 21st home run of the season while increasing her double-digit national RBI lead with four more on Saturday. Fifield's 85 RBIs are three shy of the WAC single-season RBIs record, set by BYU's Delaney Willard in 2012.Tied for the sixth-most wins in the nation, the Lopes moved their winning streak to eight games and increased their program-record victory total despite trailing 1-0 after a second-inning home run by Seattle U's Jocelyn De La Cruz, who has 12 of the Redhawks' 28 homers this season.
It was a short-lived lead when GCU put together a three-run, two-out rally in the bottom of the second. Continuing an outstanding tournament from the bottom third of the Lopes lineups, senior second baseman Macee Barnes doubled home Rodgers before Fifield lined a two-run single to center. On Fifield's hit, senior center fielder Hannah Burnett hit turbo to score from first base for a 3-1 GCU lead.
Seattle U nearly took back the lead in the third inning, when Rodgers made a leaping, inning-ending catch above the left-field wall to save a go-ahead, three-run home run. She said the Lopes practiced for that type of play all season, but game No. 57 offered the first chance for her to do it with Burnett offering confidence from center field that Rodgers had a beat on it.Minutes later, Rodgers completed a five-run momentum swing when she took a moment to calm her energy rush and channeled her adrenaline into crushing a two-run home run to right field. Her second home run of the season extended the lead to 5-1.
"She's had a great tournament and made a great play that probably saved the game yesterday," Hays said of Rodgers throwing out a runner at second base in the Friday semifinal. "She's swinging it well at the right time."
With a combined pitching effort from sophomore Meghan Golden and senior Ariel Thompson and no errors, GCU put the margin into run-rule range when the bats broke out again for a five-run fourth inning.
Fifield's two-run home run started the fourth-inning scoring after Burnett singled and applied the pressure with her 34th stolen base in 35 tries this season.
GCU junior shortstop Katelyn Dunckel, now with a 15-game hitting streak, followed Fifield with a single before senior designated player Ramsay Lopez doubled home Dunckel and junior first baseman Kaitlyn Brannstrom creamed the final two-run home run to straightaway center field for a 10-1 lead. Brannstrom has more home runs (eight) in her first GCU season that in her two previous seasons combined with Purdue (seven).
The Lopes closed play at GCU Softball Stadium on Saturday with a 32-6 record there. With six starters and an ace back from last year's WAC Tournament title, Hays said he backed off this week and allowed the team leadership to handle the team's outlook. Their experience showed in confident, loose play."It's a dream come true, living in paradise out here," said Burnett, who is 11 for 17 in the past six games to bump her season's batting average to .426. "I'm so proud of this team with everything we've done together. We've been through slumps together. We've risen together. It's such a cool feeling to have a team as a family and have each other's backs. Everyone just played their best this weekend."
In addition to Rodgers winning WAC Outstanding MVP, the Lopes quartet of Burnett (4 for 8, two steals), Dunckel (5 for 9, 4 RBIs), Fifield (7 for 9, 8 RBIs)Â and Thompson (1.00 ERA) was named to the All-WAC Tournament Team.
GCU will learn its next destination at 4 p.m. (Phoenix time) on Sunday, when ESPN2 airs the NCAA Selection Show to unveil the 64-team bracket. Last year, the Lopes were sent to the UCLA Regional for their Division I NCAA tournament debut.
"Our No. 1 goal is always to make a regional," Hays said. "Our new goal is to go win Game 1. I'd be surprised if we're any lower than a 3 seed, so it'll probably be different than last year."
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Golden, Meghan (14-2)
L: Madrigal, Stefanie (19-11)
Batting:
HR: De La Cruz, Jocelynn 1
RBI: Wilson, Tai 1 ; De La Cruz, Jocelynn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: De La Cruz, Jocelynn 1 ; Milder, Brooke 1
Batting:
2B: Lopez, Ramsay 1 ; Barnes, Macee 1
HR: Fifield, Kristin 1 ; Brannstrom, Kaitlyn 1 ; Rodgers, Kayla 1
RBI: Fifield, Kristin 4 ; Lopez, Ramsay 1 ; Brannstrom, Kaitlyn 2 ; Rodgers, Kayla 2 ; Barnes, Macee 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Burnett, Hannah 2 ; Fifield, Kristin 1 ; Dunckel, Katelyn 1 ; Rodrigues, Emma 1 ; Brannstrom, Kaitlyn 1 ; Schaefer, Madison 1 ; Rodgers, Kayla 2 ; Barnes, Macee 1
SB: Burnett, Hannah 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
4
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
UTIL
/ SoftballIF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballIF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
P
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