Tucson Regional Preview: Arizona Baseball takes on in-state foe GCU

College World Series - Coastal Carolina v Arizona - Game Two
College World Series - Coastal Carolina v Arizona - Game Two | Peter Aiken/GettyImages

TUCSON, AZ – Earning its first host Regional since 2021, Arizona Baseball (36-21, 20-10) begins tournament action against Grand Canyon (34-23, 23-7). 

After finding a nice rhythm in the Conference Tournament to earn a host bid in the NCAA Regionals, Arizona Baseball will return to the friendly confines of Hi Corbett Field where they will begin tournament action in Tucson!

Coming in, the Wildcats will take on a familiar foe in the GCU Antelopes who enter this game fresh off of a Conference Tournament victory and second consecutive WAC regular season title.

Having met a few times this season already, Fridays game will be a tough one as Arizona looks to rebound from their previous 24-8 drubbing at the hands of the Lopes. 

Luckily, the Wildcats are at home where they are 291-121 since moving to Hi Corbett Field, and beyond that, Arizona has been playing some great ball of late, winning 26 of their last 34 games.

With that said, here’s a look at the Wildcats’ upcoming opponent!

Getting to Know the details of Arizona Baseball’s opponent Grand Canyon:

Head Coach:  Gregg Wallis. Currently, in his 2nd season as head coach of the Antelopes, Wallis has guided GCU to a 71–44 record with two regular season conference titles and a NCAA Tournament berth (2024). 

2024 Record: The Antelopes went a respectable 34-23 (23-7) on the year and finished in first place in the WAC Conference for the second consecutive season.

Head-to-head Series: Arizona 70-29. Playing 99 games all-time against each other, the Wildcats have dominated this series.

Last Meeting: The Wildcats and Lopes have met three times this season with GCU winning the last two straight. In their last meeting, GCU throttled the Cats, winning by a 24-8 final.

Game information and details for Arizona Baseball:

Date: Friday, May 31, 2024

Time: 6:00 P.M.

Television: ESPN+

Location: Hi Corbett Field - Tucson, AZ (9,500)

Spread: -1.5 Arizona (Don’t forget to sign up with Caesars Sportsbook or DraftKings to enhance your overall betting experience).

Pitching Matchup: Arizona will turn to RHP Clark Candiotti (7-3, 3.11) who will get the start on the bump for the Cats, meanwhile, GCU will go with LHP Grant Richardson (4-1, 4.03).

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