That close.
 
After dominating its first three tournament opponents by a combined score of 28-5, the offense for the Grand Canyon University Club Baseball Division 2 team couldn't carry that momentum through the championship game of the National Club Baseball Association Division 2 World Series, losing to 5^th-seeded State University of New York-Brockport, 4-3, Tuesday night in Alton, Illinois. The loss – the Lopes' first in over two months and only their second overall – dashed their hopes to win their second national title. Brockport won the first-ever title in its third trip to the tournament (and its first trip since 2015).
 
Most tournament fans didn't see this coming, especially after the two teams faced off against each other in Saturday's second round. That night, the Lopes ran away from the Golden Eagles in the later innings of a 9-2 rout, sending SUNY to the elimination round. Brockport got their confidence back there, knocking out No. 4 seed Penn State University before sweeping 2^nd-seeded University of South Carolina in a pair of rain-delayed wins – the second one coming Tuesday morning to send the Golden Eagles to the title game with little rest. The Lopes had to wait out the rains as well, but punched their tickets to the championship game late Monday night with a win over Grand Valley State University (Michigan).
 
Things were different from the outset this time around – especially after SUNY gave the Lopes their first deficit of the tournament with a two-run first inning. The vaunted Lopes' offense had spent the tournament scoring runs in bunches, so no one expected a two-run lead to be enough. It wasn't. Troy Taylor's one-out double got the Lopes started in the 3^rd, then the Lopes played "small ball" the rest of the inning, bringing Taylor home on a sacrifice bunt and a balk, and using a couple of stolen bases to take a 3-2 lead on an RBI groundout and an Antonio Carrillo single. The Lopes had their chances to pad the lead in the next two innings, but GCU's Gavin Coke was thrown out at home plate on a fielder's choice in the 4^th inning, and the Lopes couldn't cash in Tommy Mirande's two-out double in the 5^th.
 
"The players were a little tight - even in pregame - but settled down somewhat when we got the lead," said Lopes' Head Coach Kim Carpenter. "However, it became apparent pretty quickly when we led the (last two) innings off with outs that the thought of a potential loss was looming."
 
Brockport's scoring opportunities in the last four innings were few, but they took advantage of their best chance in the 5^th. Lopes' starting pitcher Kolby Klein allowed a one-out walk and a single to SUNY's Cael Banks, then gave way to Anthony Wilson on the hill. Wilson's third pitch to SUNY's Aidan Voss was lined to right field to score the tying run, but the ball got past Taylor to allow Banks to cross the plate and put the Lopes a run down again. The Golden Eagles went to their 3^rd pitcher of the night, Anthony Venditti, for the final two innings, and the sophomore sent the Lopes down in order in the 6^th. In the bottom of the 7^th, Venditti retired the first Lopes' hitter before GCU's Landon Hagenow lined a single to right field (his team-leading 7^th hit of the tournament). Lopes' 1^st baseman Ryan Peterson dueled with Venditti, but on the seventh pitch of the at-bat lined out to right field, leaving Carrillo as the Lopes' final hope. Like his predecessors, Carrillo hit it hard but right at Banks in center field, who made the catch to foil the Lopes' championship bid.
 
"We had a great year, but you hate to finish it with a loss," said Carpenter. "We fought to the very end. We have so much to be proud of, since this team has been to four World Series in five years."
 
The Lopes (28-2 overall, 12-0 Pacific Region South) finish 2025-26 with a new program record for wins in a season.