In a year of milestones, this one's unprecedented.
 
Six members of the top two Grand Canyon University Club Baseball teams have earned spots on the National Club Baseball Association's All-American teams. Lopes' outfielder Jaden Earle represented the D1 Lopes on the NCBA's 3^rd Team, while five members of the D2 squad – which finished runners-up at the NCBA D2 World Series last month – were honored. GCU shortstop Landon Hagenow, pitcher Kolby Klein and first baseman Ryan Peterson all earned D2 1^st Team recognition, while outfielder Troy Taylor and pitcher Anthony Wilson were named to the D2 2^nd Team. The half-dozen players make up the largest contingent of Lopes' Club Baseball players to ever make the squads in the same season.
 
On the D1 side, Earle – a junior from Corona, California - led the Lopes in batting average (.392), hits (40) and RBI (29) in 27 games of service. The NCBA Southern Pacific Conference 1^st Team All-Region performer also cranked five of the Lopes' nine home runs on the season while adding a team-high nine doubles.
 
The Lopes' D2 team's run to the national championship game was no fluke, since their individual stats were some of the collective best in the country, so it was no surprise that the Lopes placed more players on the All-American squads than any other D2 team.
 
Peterson was the D2 squad's most productive power hitter. The first baseman appeared in all 30 games and led the team with six home runs while hitting .406 with 41 hits, nine doubles, four triples, 38 runs batted in and 39 runs scored. The native of Prescott was also a perfect 11-for-11 in stolen base attempts on the year.
 
Meanwhile, Hagenow was an offensive threat in so many ways. Like Peterson, Hagenow was a "30/30" man (30 runs scored, 30 RBI) while hitting .471 with six doubles and a triple. His 14 stolen bases (at an 87.5 percent clip) kept opposing catchers uncomfortable, and opposing managers were constantly on watch at the NCBA D2 World Series, since the sophomore from West Bend, Wisconsin, led the Lopes with a team-high seven hits in Alton - including a clutch single in the 7th inning of the championship game.
 
On the hill, Klein - a junior from Highlands Ranch, Colorado - was the anchor of one of the most dominant pitching staffs in the country. The right-hander went 5-1 with a 0.82 ERA in 11 appearances (nine of them starts), allowing a stifling 19 hits in 44 innings while striking out 61 batters and issuing just 12 walks. His .123 opponents' batting average was the best among Lopes' starters, and he was the go-to Game 1 arm all season long.
 
The selection of Taylor for 2^nd Team might be a headscratcher to some – considering the lofty stats he put up to help the Lopes power their way to nationals. The sophomore from Elk Grove, California, put together one of the most remarkable offensive seasons in program history, leading the D2 squad in virtually every offensive category, from hitting (.490) to hits (48) to doubles (12) to triples (6) to runs scored (47) and RBI (41). The outfielder's four homers (2^nd on the team to Peterson) also helped him lead GCU with a 1.434 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) and .857 slugging percentage.
 
Wilson, a senior from Carpentersville, Illinois, was arguably the D2 staff's most valuable pitcher over the course of the season. The right-hander led the squad with 64 strikeouts across 50.1 innings (10 starts in 14 appearances), going 2-0 with a 0.89 ERA and holding opponents to a .137 batting average. Wilson also came out of the bullpen in the championship game, allowing the go-ahead run in a tough-luck outing that ended GCU's title bid.

"It's great for us to get the recognition after competing at the high level in both divisions – especially with our D2 guys making it to the final game of the year," said Lopes' Head Coach Rich Warnol. "What's even more amazing about the number of honorees is that half of these guys took at least one year off before returning to organized college ball, and look at what they accomplished and what a difference they made for our teams."