Grand Canyon Antelopes softball

Grand Canyon Antelopes softball
Founded2004
UniversityGrand Canyon University
Head coachShanon Hays (1st season)
ConferenceWAC
West Division
LocationPhoenix, AZ
Home stadiumGCU Softball Stadium (Capacity: 1,200)
NicknameLopes
ColorsPurple, black, and white[1]
     
NCAA Tournament appearances
2022, 2023, 2024
Conference Tournament championships
WAC: 2022, 2023, 2024
Regular Season Conference championships
2014, 2017, 2022, 2024

The Grand Canyon Antelopes softball team represents Grand Canyon University in NCAA Division I college softball. The team participates in the Western Athletic Conference. The Lopes are currently led by head coach Shanon Hays. The team plays its home games at GCU Softball Stadium located on the university's campus.

History

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In 2002, GCU announced it would start a softball program that would compete in the 2004 season. On November 18, 2002, it announced the hiring of Arizona State assistant coach Ann Pedersen as its first head coach.[2]

GCU qualified for the NCAA Tournament three times at the Division II level (2010, 2012, 2013).

The Lopes won the Western Athletic Conference regular-season championship in their first year (2014) at the Division I level. GCU also won the regular-season title in 2017.

GCU and Ann Pierson parted ways on May 20, 2021, after the program posted back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 2008.[3]

Shanon Hays was hired as the program's second head coach on June 11, 2021.[4] In Hays' first season, he brought in 15 newcomers and led Grand Canyon to its third WAC regular-season title, first WAC Tournament title and first NCAA Tournament appearance.[5]

Conference membership (Division I only)

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  • 2014–present: Western Athletic Conference

Coaching history

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Years Coach Record %
2004–2021 Ann Pierson 511–416-3 .551
2022–present Shanon Hays 136–42 .764

GCU Softball Stadium

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GCU Softball Stadium is a softball stadium on the Grand Canyon campus in Phoenix, Arizona that seats 1,200 people. The new artificial turf playing surface was used in the 2017 season while a permanent stadium was built around it and opened on February 8, 2018.

GCU Softball Stadium replaced Stapleton-Pierson Stadium as the primary venue for the program.[6]

Year-by-year NCAA Division I results

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Statistics overview
Season Coach Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Grand Canyon (Western Athletic Conference) (2014–2024)
2014 Ann Pierson 27-21 12-3 1st
2015 Ann Pierson 28-22 9-6 2nd
2016 Ann Pierson 35-15 10-5 2nd
2017 Ann Pierson 36-18 11-4 t-1st
2018 Ann Pierson 31-28 8-6 4th
2019 Ann Pierson 33-24 12-6 t-2nd
2020 Ann Pierson 7-20 0-0 --
2021 Ann Pierson 19-30 8-9 3rd
2022 Shanon Hays 39-16 19-5 1st NCAA Regional
2023 Shanon Hays 47-13 17-7 2nd NCAA Regional
2024 Shanon Hays 50-13 23-3 1st NCAA Regional
Total: 352-220 129-54

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion


See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Grand Canyon University Athletic Brand Standards". September 20, 2018. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  2. ^ McCurdy, Jim (19 Nov 2002). "Pederson picked to launch Grand Canyon softball". Arizona Republic. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  3. ^ "GCU announces softball coaching change". GCULopes.com. 20 May 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  4. ^ Obert, Richard (11 June 2021). "Former Texas Tech coach Shanon Hays replaces Ann Pierson as Grand Canyon softball coach". Arizona Central. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  5. ^ Obert, Richard (19 May 2022). "Grand Canyon softball makes first NCAA Tournament regional, will face No. 5 UCLA". Arizona Central. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  6. ^ Cruz, Jeanette (18 Feb 2019). "Softball Stadium opener is truly Grand". GCU Today. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
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