It wasn't even probable a month ago, but…
 
After winning crucial conference series against the two main teams ahead of them in the standings earlier in the month, the Grand Canyon University Division 1 Club Baseball team finished off their monthlong return to the top of the National Club Baseball Association Southern Pacific South Conference Sunday, finishing off a three-game sweep of Northern Arizona University with a 16-6 "mercy rule" victory. The win – on a breezy afternoon at Colter Baseball Field on the GCU campus – officially clinched a share of the regular season title between GCU and San Diego State University. Because of the Lopes' series win over SDSU two weeks ago, GCU won the tiebreaker, sending the Lopes to a 7^th consecutive berth in the SoPac Region Tournament in Palm Springs, California, two weeks from now. The Lopes finished off the weekend sweep after defeating NAU, 4-2 and 8-4, in the first two games of the series Saturday.
 
Game 1 (Saturday): GCU 4, NAU 2
 
The Lopes came into the series having never lost to the Lumberjacks in 22 previous meetings, but saw from NAU's close scores this season that the 'Jacks wouldn't just roll over this weekend. The team from Flagstaff went to work proving that in Game 1, allowing all four GCU runs to cross the plate in the first three innings, then shutting down the Lopes' offense from there. The Lopes jumped on NAU starting pitcher P.J. Soltero immediately with three 1^st-inning runs – much in part to doubles from the Earle brothers, Owen and Jaden – then adding an insurance run in the 3rd on an RBI single from Sebastian Osornio. After that, though, NAU reliever Brayden Kitmitto held GCU to just one hit. Fortunately, Lopes' starting pitcher Nathan McLean showed the Lumberjacks no signs that it was just his second start of the year. McLean gave up a leadoff triple to begin the game, then retired 12 of the next 13 'Jacks' hitters to face him. McLean's shutout was spoiled in the 5^th – thanks to three consecutive singles – but still carried a three-run cushion into the final frame. McLean almost escaped the 7^th unscathed, but a two-out fielding error kept the inning alive, and a second error brought home a run from 3^rd base with two out before McLean fanned Connor Culwell on a 2-2 pitch to end the threat. McLean's first career complete game featured a dozen strikeouts without a walk while at the plate, both Earles and Wyatt Wagner had two hits each.
 
Game 2 (Saturday): GCU 8, NAU 3
 
Once again, the winless Lumberjacks (0-21 overall, 0-15 SoPac South) didn't play like it, taking a 3-0 lead in the 1^st inning off Lopes' starter Brandon Bermudez before the righty calmed down and only allowed one NAU hitter to get past 1^st base for the remainder of his six innings of work. The Lopes came back to tie the game with a Zack Ekstrom RBI double and an NAU error to score a pair in the bottom of the 1^st inning, then pulling even on another Northern Arizona error in the 2^nd. That's where the score stayed until Brandon Vasquez's 2-out double in the 5^th brought home another unearned run, then the Lopes blew it open with a 4-run 6^th. Eight of the nine Lopes' hitters had at least one hit, with Owen Earle leading the way with a 2-for-4 performance.
 
Game 3 (Sunday): GCU 16, NAU 6 (F/7)
 
Having their five seniors – Crew Cascaes, Caisen Medina, Frankie (Pabel) Martinez, Ryan Sarver and Tyler Soren – honored prior to the game brought out the emotions and good feelings, but forced the Lopes to put those emotions in check very early, since they still knew that a loss would ruin the regionals bid. They were certainly unfazed in the 3-run first inning as Noah Rush crushed a two-run homer, then Martinez cashed in a third with a two-out double. Once again, though, the Lumberjacks stayed right with them early, using five hits off Cascaes in the 2^nd inning to tie the score at 3-3. NAU starter Brandon Buchanan worked out of jams the next two innings before the wheels came off in the 4^th as the Lopes sent 10 men to the plate, scoring five – three of them off Rush's second homer of the morning. A run in the top of the 5^th gave NAU momentary hope for a comeback until Jaden Earle stepped to the plate in the bottom of the inning and whacked a 3-run shot of his own over the right-centerfield fence. With the NAU bullpen reeling, the Lopes pounced in the 7^th, with all eight hitters reaching base before Vasquez's single brought the 5^th run of the inning home to invoke the 10-run mercy rule, thus beginning the Lopes' celebration. Rush accounted for five RBI and four runs scored, while Earle went 4-for-4 with a homer, two doubles and a stolen base, scoring four times and knocking in three. Harrison Plummer got the win in mop-up duty, firing four innings of two-hit ball, striking out eight NAU hitters while walking three.
 
Now that they've accomplished their first postseason goal – getting there – the D1 Lopes will spend the next week prepping while cheering on their Division 2 counterparts. The D2 Lopes (22-1 overall, 15-0 Pacific South) – ranked No. 1 in the NCBA D2 Poll - will be the first ones to make the trip to Palm Springs next weekend as the top seed in the Pacific Region Tournament, which begins May 1. Then the D1 Lopes (15-9 overall, 10-5 SoPac South), will make their own trek down Interstate 10 a week later for the Southern Pacific Region Tournament beginning May 8.