Previewing Arizona Baseball as they take on GCU

TUCSON, AZ – Arizona Baseball (40-15, 21-9) kicks off NCAA Tournament action with a Friday evening matchup against in-state foe, Grand Canyon 

The road to the College World Series starts now, and even though Arizona Baseball has had a hell of a run thus far, there is still a bit of work left to do if the Wildcats hope to return to Omaha.

Entering the weekend, the Wildcats will play host to three other teams (Grand Canyon, Oklahoma State, and UC-Santa Barbara), and Arizona will kick off their weekend action with a match-up against in-state foe, Grand Canyon.

Arizona Wildcats

Overall, the challenge should be a daunting one as all the teams coming to Tucson are quite solid. However, the Wildcats have been dominant at home, and their pitching has come on as of late.

With the Wildcats returning to action on Friday evening, we take an early look at the Antelopes…

Becoming familiar with Grand Canyon:

Conference: WAC
Head Coach: Andy Stankiewicz
Head Coaching Record: 300-216-2
Current Record: 39-19-2 (29-7)

Previous match-up(s): The Wildcats lost in Phoenix to the Antelopes 5-4 in extra innings back in April, but beat GCU 13-2 in Tucson just a couple of weeks later.

Pitching:

Overall, it’s a fairly solid group. The Lopes have 10 of 16 pitchers with an ERA under 4.00, and together GCU has held opponents to a combined 3.85 ERA with a .242 batting average.

• Largely led by junior RHP Pierson Ohl, the Southern California native has been stellar, compiling a 10-1 record to go along with a 2.36 ERA and 100 strikeouts.
• Frankie Scalzo (Senior RHP) has been very good out of the bullpen for the Antelopes, sporting a 2-2 record with a 2.25 ERA and 12 saves.
• Freshman Carter Young has also been a pleasant surprise, compiling a 7-1 record, a 2.69 ERA, and 56 strikeouts in 14 games appeared.

Hitting:

On paper, Arizona is easily the better and more potent offense, outhitting GCU .325 to a .290 team batting average. Arizona also has 58 home runs compared to GCU’s 47.

• As a team, the Antelopes are hitting a combined .290 from the plate with 47 home runs and 322 RBIs.
• Where they excel is being patient at the plate. Arizona has struck out 425 times as a team, where GCU has struck just 366 times. However, the Wildcats are far more aggressive, sporting a .427 on-base percentage.

The Wildcats will need to stay hungry here as GCU has a terrific group. This is a team that did beat Arizona once already this season, and they will look to play spoiler this weekend.

How to watch/follow the game:

Time/Date: Friday 6/4 – 7:00 pm MST
TV: ESPN3
Radio: 1290 AM (Tucson) with Brian Jefferies on the call.