Live Stats

Fresno Pacific welcomes the PacWest's hottest team to town this week as the Sunbirds host first-place Grand Canyon in a four-game series beginning Thursday night. 

The Antelopes (26-5, 19-1 PacWest), winners of 17 straight, are ranked #9 in the nation in one national poll and #14 in another. GCU is currently #2 in the NCAA West Region, behind only Division II power Chico State. During their current win streak the Lopes have swept regionally ranked Hawaii Pacific and Cal Poly Pomona, as well as PacWest opponents Hawaii Hilo and Holy Names.

FPU (20-10, 11-5 PacWest) has won six straight games and eight of its last nine, including taking a series from nationally-ranked Cal State Los Angeles. The Sunbirds are coming off a four-game road sweep of Academy of Art.

The teams will play Thursday and Friday night at 6 pm, before playing a Saturday doubleheader at noon.

Hitting
 
GCU's lineup is led by senior infielder Derek Mendoza, who comes in hitting .404 with a team-high 28 RBI. Junior catcher Steven Swingle comes in hitting .365 with a team-best .615 slugging percentage. The Lopes are hitting .315 as a team, second in the league behind Cal Baptist.

FPU is hitting .262 as a team, which ranks 8th out of 10 in the PacWest but the Sunbirds have begun to heat up over the last couple weeks. Brett Bishop leads the team with five homeruns and 26 RBI and went 5-for-8 with two homers and five RBI in Saturday's doubleheader sweep. Kaohu Gaspar, after battling an early-season injury, now leads the team with a .365 batting average and a .506 on-base percentage.

Pitching
 
The series features the top two pitching staffs in the PacWest, with GCU holding a league-low 2.40 ERA and the Sunbirds in second at 2.56. Sophomore Coley Bruns (6-0, 1.24 ERA) leads the Lopes' starting rotation along with freshman Andrew Naderer (6-1, 1.91 ERA). Sophomore lefty Brandon Bonilla, son of former major leaguer Bobby Bonilla, has carried the Lopes' bullpen posting an 0.59 ERA with 20 strikeouts.

J.D. Salles (4-2, 1.76 ERA) and Wilson Ashford (5-1, 1.42 ERA) have been a formidable 1-2 punch in the starting rotation for the Sunbirds. They'll be joined in the rotation this weekend by Ryan Castadio (2-2, 3.38 ERA) and James Lagorio (1-0, 1.46 ERA). Ryan Cheek has been the dominant bullpen arm, posting a 1.23 ERA.
 
Probable Starters

Game 1 – Thursday, 6 pm
Jorge Perez (GCU) vs. J.D. Salles (FPU)

Game 2 – Friday, 6 pm
Andrew Naderer (GCU) vs. Wilson Ashford (FPU)

Games 3 & 4 – Saturday, 12 pm, Doubleheader
Coley Bruns (GCU) vs. Ryan Castadio (FPU)
Trent Wilson (GCU) vs. James Lagorio (FPU)