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Imani Suber , Assistant Director of Athletic Communications · Office: (602) 639-7421 · Cell: (214) 316-4435 · E-mail: imani.suber@gcu.edu

SERIES HISTORYGrand Canyon vs. Northern Colorado

» 3rd all-time meeting, dating back to 2015. » Overall: 2-0 (Home: 2-0, Away: 0-0, Neutral: 0-0) » Last time: GCU 7, UNC 1, 2/7/15 (Phoenix, Ariz.) » Streak: Grand Canyon, Won 2

Grand Canyon vs. Bradley » First meeting

SOFTBALL2017 GAME NOTES

@GCUSoftball@gcusoftball

2017 SCHEDULE (52 T / 26 H / 11 A / 15 N)

GCU KICKOFF TOURNAMENTFeb. 10 Northern Colorado 2:30 p.m.Feb. 10 Bradley 5:00 p.m.Feb. 11 Northern Colorado 12:00 p.m.Feb. 11 Bradley 2:30 p.m.Feb. 12 Bradley 9:00 a.m.Feb. 12 Northern Colorado 11:30 a.m.BAYLOR GETTERMEN CLASSICFeb. 17 North Texas 2:00 p.m.Feb. 17 Baylor 4:30 p.m.Feb. 18 UTSA 11:30 a.m.Feb. 18 North Texas 4:30 p.m.Feb. 19 Lamar 8:00 a.m. GCU INVITATIONAL Feb. 23 San Jose State 4:00 p.m.Feb. 24 Portland State 4:30 p.m.Feb. 24 Nevada 7:00 p.m.Feb. 25 San Jose State 11:30 a.m.Feb. 25 Rhode Island 2:00 p.m.Feb. 26 Nevada 11:30 a.m.GCU ROUND ROBIN Mar. 3 Maine 6:00 p.m.Mar. 4 Crieghton 12:00 p.m. Mar. 4 Maine 2:30 p.m.Mar. 5 Creighton 12:00 p.m. Mar. 5 Maine 2:30 p.m. STANFORD EASTON CLASSICMar. 10 Cal Poly 3:00 p.m.Mar. 10 Stanford 7:30 p.m.Mar. 11 Cal Poly 3:00 p.m.Mar. 11 Lehigh 7:30 p.m.Mar. 12 Uconn 3:00 p.m.SANTA CLARA ROUND ROBINMar. 17 CSU-Long Beach 10:00 a.m.Mar. 17 Santa Clara 5:30 p.m.Mar. 18 Lehigh 12:30 a.m.Mar. 18 Northwestern 5:30 p.m.Mar. 19 Santa Clara 3:00 p.m.Mar. 22 Washington (DH) 3:00 p.m. Mar. 22 Washington (DH) 5:00 p.m.Mar. 29 Arizona (DH) 3:00 p.m.Mar. 29 Arizona (DH) 5:00 p.m.WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERECE GAMESMar. 31 Seattle (DH) * 5:00 p.m. Mar. 31 Seattle (DH)* 7:30 p.m.Apr. 1 Seattle* 5:00 p.m.Apr. 7 UMKC (DH)* 2:00 p.m.Apr. 7 UMKC (DH)* 4:00 p.m.Apr. 8 UMKC* 12”00 p.m.Apr. 14 CSU Bakersfield (DH)* 5:00 p.m.Apr. 14 CSU Bakersfield (DH)* 7:30 p.m.Apr. 15 CSU Bakersfield* 5:00 p.m.Apr. 22 Utah Valley (DH)* 5:00 p.m.Apr. 22 Utah Valley (DH)* 7:30 p.m.Apr. 23 Utah Valley* 5:00 p.m.Apr. 28 New Mexico State(DH)* 4:00 p.m. Apr. 28 New Mexico State(DH)* 6:00 p.m.Apr. 29 New Mexico State* 4:00 p.m. May 2 Utah (DH) 4:00 p.m. May 2 Utah (DH) 6:30 p.m.May 3 BYU 6:00 p.m.

5 Wartman7 Coates

3 Shea Smith

4 Dowdle

8 Boling

25 Hill

6 Sierra Smith

PROJECTED STARTERS

GRAND CANYONLOPES

(0-0, WAC)

NORTHERN COLORADO BEARS

(0-0, BIG SKY)V S BRADLEY

BRAVES(0-0, MISSOURI VALLEY)

GCU KICKOFF TOURNAMENT | FEB. 10-12 | GCU SOFTBALL STADIUM | PHOENIX, ARIZ.

LOPES KICKOFF 2017 CAMPAIGN » GCU will debut the 2017 season as they host the GCU Kickoff Tournament this weekend. The Lopes welcome Northern Colorado and Bradley to the new GCU Softball Stadium for the weekend of events.

» GCU will play in six contests during opening weekend, playing each team three times.

THE RUN DOWN (GAMES 1-6) » The Lopes officially debut in the new GCU Softball Stadium Friday against Northern Colorado.

» Ann Pierson enters her 14th year at the helm as GCU’s only coach of the softball program.

» GCU tied with New Mexico State for the No.1 spot in the WAC Preseason Coaches Poll. Taylor Nowlin was also tabbed WAC Preseason Pitcher of the year, while Nowlin, Camree Wartman and Shea Smith landed on the Presea-son All-WAC Squad.

SIZING UP NORTHERN COLOARDO » The Bears finished the 2016 season with a 9-33 record. » Head coach Shana Easley enters her fifth year at the helm of the program.

» UNC welcomes three newcomers to the program this season.

SIZING UP BRADLEY » The Braves finished 2016 with a 18-30 record, » Head coach Amy Hayes enters her ninth year at the helm of the Bradley softball program.

» Bradley welcomes back 12 returners

TOURNAMENT MATCHUP (2016 STATS)

vs.

35-15 W-L 18-30 9-33.342 AVG .296 .284481 H 391 306314 R 112 16594 2B 71 418 3B 11 18

35 HR 36 20134 BB 118 118

5.40 ERA 5.40 8.86.952 FLD% .956 .949

GAME INFORMATION

WATCHGCUTV

LIVE STATSGCUSTATS.COM

TWITTER@GCUSoftball@GCU_Lopes

INSTAGRAM@GCUSoftball

1 Nowlin

11 Gomez

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SOFTBALL 2017 GAME NOTES

TABLE OF CONTENTS 2016-17 Quick Facts / Rosters .................................................. 2 Media Contact Information ...................................................... 2 Game Notes (Team / Player)..................................................... 3 GCU Softball Stadium/Last Time Out ....................................... 5 Head Coach Ann Pierson /GCU Record When ...........................6 TV / Radio Roster ..................................................................... 7 Grand Canyon 2016-Season Stats ............................................9

SOFTBALL COMMUNICATIONS CONTACT Softball Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Imani Suber Office Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .602-639-7421 Cell Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214-316-4435 Email . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . imani.suber@gcu.edu

GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY INFORMATIONSchool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Grand Canyon UniversityLocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Phoenix, Ariz.Founded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1949Enrollment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,500President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brian MuellerVice President of Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike VaughtFaculty Representative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Claude Pensis Affiliation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NCAA Division INickname . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LopesMascot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ThunderColors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Purple, Black & WhiteConference . . . . . . . Western Athletic Conference (WAC)Athletics Website: . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.GCULopes.com

MEDIA INFORMATIONThe Grand Canyon Athletics Department is served by a com-munications office staff that works diligently to promote the individual and team accomplishments of student-athletes, coaches and staff. The office members handle all sport and department communications and media relations needs, and are happy to serve the working media in any way possi-ble. Our staff will fulfill all reasonable requests.

Credentials All members of the office follow the guidelines set forth by the NCAA and the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in governing the issuance of credentials. All creden-tial requests should be submitted to the sport contacts.

E-mail Releases, game notes and advisories are e-mailed to media that cover GCU on a regular basis. Media wishing to be added to the e-mail list for women’s basketball should contact imani.suber@gcu.edu.

Online Updated bios, notes, rosters, schedules, statistics, quotes, etc., will be available throughout the season for every sport on GCULopes.com.

SOFTBAL FACILITYHome Facility (Capacity) GCU Softball Stadium (900)Record at GCU Softball Stadium 0-0 (.000)Opened 2017

COACHING STAFFHead Coach Ann Pierson (14th season) Alma Mater Arizona State, 1986 Grand Canyon Record 383-298-2 (.562) WAC Record 31-14 (.638) Overall Record sameAssistant Coach Christi Musser Alma Mater Kansas, 2005Assistant Coach Kelsey Rodriguez Alma Mater Arizona, 2014Business Ops Grad Asst. Amanda Gardner Alma Mater Maryland, 2015Softball Office Phone 602-693-6042

PROGRAM HISTORY First Year 2004All-Time Record 383-298-2 (.562)All-Time Division I Record 89-59 (.601)All-Time WAC Record 31-14 (.638)Conference Titles 1 WAC Regular Season Titles 1

2017 TEAM INFORMATIONLetterwinners Returning / Lost 9 / 2Position Starters Returning / Lost 7/ 2Starting Pitchers Returning / Lost 1 / 1Newcomers (Freshmen ) 6

PRONUNCIATION GUIDE Taylor Nowlin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KNOW-linHeaven Acquart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AK-erdBrianna Aguilar-BEAUCAGE . . . . . . BOSAGE (rhymes with corsage)Taylor Kaye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K Christi Musser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . MUSS-er (like muscle)

QUICK FACTS / ROSTERS / MEDIA INFO2017 NUMERICAL ROSTER

NO NAME POS B/T HT YR HOMETOWN HIGH SCHOOL PREVIOUS

2 Taylor Nowlin P R/L 5-6 Sr. Peoria, Ariz. Sunrise Mountain HS

3 Sierra Smith 3B L/R 5-5 So. Waddell, Ariz. Verrado HS

4 Madelyn Dowdle OF R/R 5-3 So. Tucson, Ariz. Pusch Ridge Christian

5 Camree Wartman 2B L/R 5-4 Sr. Riverton, Utah Riverton HS

6 Shea Smith SS L/R 5-5 So. Waddell, Ariz. Verrado HS

7 Jenna Coates OF/C R/R 5-8 Sr. Gilbert, Ariz. Higley HS

8 Bianca Boling 1B L/R 5-8 Jr. Phoenix, Ariz. North Canyon

9 Hailey Freeman 3B/1B R/R 5-9 Fr. Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. Etiwanda HS

10 Kama-Lei Santiago UTL R/R 5-4 Fr. Waianae, Hawai’i Waianae HS

11 Laynee Gomez OF L/L 5-2 Jr. Gilbert, Ariz. Perry HS

15 Heaven Acquart OF L/R 5-3 So. Sahuarita, Ariz. Sahuarita HS

16 Logan Johnston 1B R/R 5-11 So. Peoria, Ariz. Liberty HS

17 Brianna Aguilar-Beaucage P/U R/R 5-7 Fr. Tucson, Ariz. Salpointe Catholic HS

18 Mariah Valencia P R/R 5-8 Jr. Phoenix, Ariz. Paradise Valley HS

20 Taylor Kaye OF L/R 5-6 So. Glendale, Ariz. Mountain Ridge HS

21 Loriann Olson 2B/OF L/R 5-7 Fr. Tucson, Ariz. Ironwood Ridge HS

22 Jordon Keeton UTL R/R 5-6 Fr. Casa Grande, Ariz. Vista Grande HS

24 Taylor Escobar C R/R 5-9 So. La Mirada, Calif. Whittier Christian

25 Kendsey Hill C R/R 5-6 Sr. Walla Walla, Wash. Utah State Utah State

26 Nikki Gonzalez C R/R 5-6 Jr. Tucson, Ariz. Mount St. Mary's Mount St. Mary's

33 Megan Stevens P/1B R/R 5-8 Fr. Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. Etiwanda HS

Head Coach Ann Pierson | Arizona State (1991), 14th seasonAssistant Coach | Christi Musser, 2nd seasonAssistant Coach | Kelsey Rodriguez, 2nd season | Operations Grad Assistant | Amanda Gardner, 2nd season

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SOFTBALL 2017 GAME NOTES

LOPES TIED FOR FIRST IN PRESEASON POLLS After wrapping up the 2016 season tied for second place in the conference and a Western Athletic Conference record of 10-5, there is a level of excitement as head coach Ann Pierson enters her 14th season at the helm.

On Feb. 1, the WAC released its preseason rankings as voted on by the head coaches of the league’s six schools. GCU was projected to finish first, tieing with NM State in the conference standings, having received 23 points.

2017 PRESEASON SOFTBALL COACHES POLLRank Team (First-place votes) PointsT-1. GRAND CANYON 23T-1 New Mexico State 23T-3 CSU Bakersfield 29T-3. Seattle U 134. UMKC 265. Seattle U 13

NOWLIN NAMED PRESEASON PITCHER OF THE YEAR GCU's own Taylor Nowlin was named Preseason Pitcher of the Year for her stellar perfor-mance last season. Nowlin, Camree Wartman and Shea Smith were also named to the Presea-son All-WAC squad.

2017 PRESEASON ALL-WAC TEAM (Player, School) Paige Bouska (Seattle U) Taylor Nowlin (Grand Canyon) Victoria Castro (NM State) Rachel Rodriguez (NM State) Julea Cavazos (CSUB) Bri Sims (UMKC) Kayla Green (NM State) Shea Smith (Grand Canyon) Kelsey Horton (NM State) Brittney Vansway (Utah Valley) Bailey Moore (Utah Valley) Camree Wartman (Grand Canyon)

FIERCE PIERSON Head coach Ann Pierson enters her 14th year at the helm as GCU’s lone softball coach. Pierson will be chasing her 400th career win this season and win No.100 since the squad joined Division I action.

She currently boasts a 383-298-2 with a 89-59 record in Division I play. She led the Lopes to their best Division I season after finishing 2016 with a 35-15 record. She also led the Lopes to a WAC regular season championship in 2014.

WELCOME TO THE SQUAD Although the Lopes graduated two essential pieces last year, Pierson has reloaded for the 2017 season by adding six newcomers. The group includes six freshmen.

Hailey Freeman, Kama-Lei Santiago, Loriann Olson, Jordon Keeton and Megan Stevens will all see time on the field. The Lopes will also welcome Brianna Aguilar-Beaucage to the circle.

This summer, Aguilar-Beaucage was named a finalist for the Canadian Junior National team and will be a big part of the Lopes game plan this year.

WELCOME BACK The Lopes return over 50 percent of their roster from a year ago, including seven starters. Madelyn Dowdle, Shea Smith, Sierra Smith, Kendsey Hill, Laynee Gomez and Camree Wartman. GCU also returns Preseason Pitcher of the Year, Taylor Nowlin.

GCU KICKOFF TOURNAMENT NOTABLES The Lopes will host the GCU Kickoff Tournament for the third-straight season, with the inaugural tour-nament in 2015.

GCU is 9-1 in the tournament since its inception with its lone loss to Tulsa in 2015. The Lopes went on to defeat Northern Colorado and Santa Clara on the weekend.

Last season GCU went a perfect 6-0 during opening weekend with wins over UMBC, Idaho State and Loyola Marymount. Nowlin combined for a no-hitter, tallying GCU’s first shutout of the season with a 18-0 victory over UMBC in the season opener.

GCU KICKOFF TOURNAMENT SCHEDULEThe Lopes will welcome Northern Colorado and Bradley to the new GCU Softball Stadium this weekend.

Friday, Feb. 10Northern Colorado vs. Bradley | 12 p.m. MST | StatBroadcast GCU vs. Northern Colorado | 2:30 p.m. MST| StatBroadcast | GCU.tvGCU vs. Bradley | 5 p.m. MST | StatBraodcast | GCU.tv Saturday, Feb. 11GCU vs. Northern Colorado | 12 p.m. MST | StatBroadcast | GCU.tvGCU vs. Bradley | 2:30 p.m. MST | StatBroadcast | GCU.tvBradley vs. Northern Colorado | 5 p.m. MST | StatBraodcast Sunday, Feb. 12GCU vs. Bradley | 9 a.m. MST | StatBroadcast | GCU.tvGCU vs. Northern Colorado | 11:30 a.m. MST| StatBroadcast | GCU.tv

SCOUTING NORTHERN COLORADO The Bears finished the 2016 season with a 9-33 record, going 4-14 in the Big Sky.

Northern Colorado returns senior infielder Erika Dick. Dick led the nation in triples per game last season. She also scored the most runs in Bear history with 123 career.

Head coach Shana Easley enters her fifth year at the helm of the program.

UNC welcomes three newcomers to the program this season.

GCU will meet UNC for the third time in program history. The Lopes lead the all-time series at 2-0. GCU last faced the Bears in 2015, during the inaugural GCU Kickoff Tournament.

In the team’s last meeting, GCU’s Nowlin struckout 10 batters, pitching a three-hitter to lead the Lopes to a 7-1 win over the Bears.

SCOUTING BRADLEY The Braves finished the 2016 season with a 18-30 record, with a 12-14 mark in Missouri Valley Conference play. Bradley welcomes back 12 returners includ-ing senior Kelly Kapp. The Preseason All-MVC Selection, finished 2016 with a .405 batting average which earned her Third-Team NFCA All-Midwast Region honors.

Head coach Amy Hayes enters her ninth year at the helm of the Bradley softball program. Senior Jaelen Hull will lead the Bradley pitching staff of five. Hull led the Braves in five categories which included ERA, shutouts and strikeouts. She tossed a career-best 103 strikeouts last season.

GCU will meet Bradley for the first time in program history this weekend.

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SOFTBALL 2017 GAME NOTESBIG SEVEN The Lopes will face seven 2016 NCAA Tournament teams this season, and four of the seven currently sit in the Top-25 in the National Fast pitch Coaches Association Preseason Poll in Ar-izona (10), Washington (13), Utah (18), and Baylor (21). Northwestern and BYU are currently receiving top 25 votes. The Lopes will meet a total of six power five conference foes (Baylor, Stanford, Northwestern, Utah, Washington, Arizona) as well as Mountain West opponent BYU and conference rival CSU Bakersfield.

Washington, Arizona and Utah advanced to the NCAA Tournament Super Regional rounds last May.

A LOOK BACK The GCU softball program closed out the 2016 season with a 35-15 record and a 10-5 mark in Western Athletic Conference play. The Lopes tied for second in the conference and amassed 314 runs from 481 hits with 94 doubles and 35 home runs. The Lopes hit .342 on the season. GCU had three named to the NFCA All-West Region team for the first time in program history as Nowlin, Wartman and Nicole Newberry were honored. GCU also had five student-athletes named to the All-WAC Team which included Nowlin’s Pitcher of the Year accolades. GCU engi-neered 10 shutouts and run-ruled eight opponents over the course of the season.

They produced 34 games with 10 or more runs and garnered their first win over an SEC opponent when they defeated Arkansas. At 35-15 the Lopes finished the year with best overall record since joining Division I action in 2014.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE The Lopes have continued coach Pierson’s philosophy of academic excellence, earning the highest GPA among Division I Softball Programs with a 3.670 GPA.

GCU also had 17 student-athletes named to the Easton/NFCA Division I Scholar-Athletes team. The Lopes earned the honor for the first time since 2012, notching the accolade for the first time since joining Division I action.

RPI ON WATCH GCU had the best RPI rankings in program history. They finished 2016 at No. 53 in RPI. The Lopes debuted the year at No. 45, with their highest position of the year at No. 42.

GCU faced four ranked opponents in 2016 with six power five opponents. Along with GCU’s 35 win season, its quality opponents, which included 2016 National Champion Oklahoma and its first SEC victory over Arkan-sas where significant factors in the team’s final RPI spot in the standings.

NOWLIN BECOMES GCU ALL-TIME STRIKEOUT LEADER Senior Taylor Nowlin  surpassed the GCU all-time strikeout record on March 2 of the 2016 campaign after tossing nine strikeouts to claim the record, previously held by Stephanie Pesqueira. She has amassed 435 career strikeouts heading into the 2017 season.

LOPES IN THE COMMUNITY Recently, the softball team extended their goodwill to Rocky Point, Mexico as several players trav-eled out of the country for a three-day trip to serve for the organization One Mission.

The trip was optional for all team members and the girls that decided to go spent their time buildina house for a family in need. To earn their home, the family had performed over 200 service hours in their Mexican community. The GCU athletes were able to meet the family and build a relationship with them over the three days. The home was built completely by hand and every girl was able to contribute.

On the final day of the trip, the team had a chance to pray with the family and present them with a Spanish bible. Each GCU member underlined their favorite bible verse before gifting it. In addition to prayer, the family was also given the keys to their new home. The father was extremely impressed by the work ethic and great attitudes of the girls over the weekend.

GCU coordinator Kelly Schmidt accommodated the athletes throughout the trip. Schmidt has part-nered with One Mission multiple times in the past and felt that both the GCU athletes and the non-profit organization benefitted from the experience. The entire One Mission staff was impressed with how quickly the softball team was able to complete the house and each girl felt excited and rewarded by the entire experience.

THE GCU 10 IN 2 EFFECT As part of its $1 billion campus expansion, Grand Canyon University announced on Aug. 16, 2016 that it will complete construction of 10 new athletic fa-cilities within the next two years as it continues its transition to NCAA Division I athletics. One of these 10 facilities is a brand new softball facility for the GCU softball program.

Located on the west side of campus, this new stadium will include seating for 1,500, including cov-ered chairback seats, an expanded concourse that includes new restrooms and concession stands, and a press box equipped for radio and television broadcasts. Dimensions of the field will remain sim-ilar, stretching 204 feet down each line and 220 feet to center and will feature a 12-foot outfield wall in center field. New home and visitor’s dugouts are also part of the project, which is scheduled to be completed in advance of the 2018 season. Phase I includes moving the current field outward to create more space for seating, the Lopes Performance Center expansion and a stadium concourse. Phase II encompasses the remainder of the project.

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SOFTBALL 2017 GAME NOTES

Located on the west side of campus, this new stadium will include seating for 1,500, including cov-ered chairback seats, an expanded concourse that includes new restrooms and concession stands, and a press box equipped for radio and television broadcasts. Dimensions of the field will remain sim-ilar, stretching 204 feet down each line and 220 feet to center and will feature a 12-foot outfield wall in center field. New home and visitor’s dugouts are also part of the project, which is scheduled to be completed in advance of the 2018 season. Phase I includes moving the current field outward to create more space for seating, the Lopes Performance Center expansion and a stadium concourse. Phase II encompasses the remainder of the project.

Student-athletes love the atmosphere while also enjoying first-class amenities. The facili-ties on the GCU campus are among the best in the conference and feature everything stu-dent-athletes need to be successful right at their fingertips. From an on-site medical facility to the strength and conditioning area and locker room with a players’ lounge and study area, the Lopes have all the comforts of home just a short walk from student housing.

THE HAVOCS

GCU SOFTBALL STADIUM

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SOFTBALL 2017 GAME NOTES

HEAD COACH ANN PIERSON

Ann Pierson enters her 14th season guiding the Lopes softball squad in 2017. Pierson, the only head coach in the program’s history, has led GCU softball to great success on and off the field.

In 2016, GCU finished with a 35-15 record, the best mark since the team transitioned to Division I status. GCU posted the highest GPA among Divi-son I softball program in the offseason.

In 2014, Pierson had a memorable 11th season with the Lopes as she was named Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Lopes to a WAC title in just their first year of transition to the Division I level. The team finished with a 12-3 conference mark, while tallying an overall record of 27-21.

Under Pierson’s direction, six members of the 2014 squad received postseason recognition from the WAC. Included in that list was Stepha-nie Pesqueira, who was crowned WAC Pitcher of the Year for her efforts in the circle. GCU won each of its five conference series, sweeping Utah Valley and New Mexico State.

A year later, Pierson’s second squad at the Division I level posted 28 wins in 2015 and garnered a second-place finish in the WAC with a 9-6 record. During the season, she coached her 600th game at GCU.

Pierson guided the program to back-to-back Division II postseason ap-pearances in 2012 and 2013. Prior to that, GCU went to the postseason for the first time in 2010, when the Lopes had a school-record 42 wins. The program hit the 40-win mark for the a second time in 2013.

Pierson has produced four Division II All-Americans. In 2013, outfielder Kayla Henry was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Second Team and Daktronics, Inc., Honorable Mention All-America, as voted on by CoSIDA. In 2012, shortstop Kelsey Barak was a Daktronics, Inc., Honorable Mention selection. In 2010, Teddy Barry was a Daktronics, Inc., First Team All-American and in 2006 Randi Johns was named to the NCAA Independent All-America Team.

While Pierson’s program’s on-field efforts have been exemplary, the off-the-field performance is equally or more impressive.Four times under the veteran coach’s tenure, the Antelopes have been at the top of the NFCA Division II Top 10 All-Academic Rankings. GCU took the top spot in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2012. The program boasts 49 players who have earned NFCA All-America Scholar honors. The 2012 team registered a 3.60 team grade-point average.

Prior to coming to GCU, Pierson was the lead assistant at Arizona State for seven seasons. There, she was responsible for managing the recruitment process, initial eligibility and assisting with on-field coaching.

Pierson, formerly Ann Rowan, was a standout shortstop at ASU from 1988-91. An outstanding hitter for the Sun Devils, Pierson’s softball achievements earned her several long-standing marks in ASU’s record book, including the third-most hits in a single-sea-son with 86. A second-team All-American and first-team all-region pick in 1990, Pierson is seventh in ASU history in hits (245), tied for third in triples (11), tied for 10th in stolen bases (37), and tied for 19th in doubles (24). She earned All-Pac 10 Conference honors in 1990 and 1991. In September 2006, Pierson was inducted into the Arizona State Hall of Fame for her accomplishments as a player.

In addition to her collegiate accomplishments, Pierson was a member of three gold medal-winning national teams. She was one of 18 players chosen from a pool of 95 of the top women’s fastpitch players who competed for the coveted positions on the USA Softball National Team. Pierson earned her first gold medal as a member of the 1991 Pan American Games. Her second gold med-al came as a member of the 1993 USA National Team, which won the Intercontinental Cup in Holland. Pierson’s third gold medal performance came at the 1995 Pan American Games, where she batted .500 and scored five runs while posting a perfect fielding percentage of 1.000. A four-time Olympic Festival selection and three-time ASA All-American, Pierson also played for the 1998 national champion California Commotion team.

Pierson is a native of Tempe, Ariz., and graduated from Arizona State with a Bachelor of Science degree in therapeutic recreation in 1992. She also received her master’s degree in educational psychology from Northern Arizona in December 2006. Pierson and her husband, John Pierson, reside in Chandler, Ariz., with their daughter, Jordan Tatum, and their two bulldogs, Joie and Sophie.

GCU RECORD WHEN... 2017 2016 Overall 0-0 35-15Conference 0-0 10-5Non-Conference 0-0 25-10At home 0-0 13-6On the road 0-0 11-1At netural sites 0-0 11-8Day games 0-0 32-9Night games 0-0 3-6

vs. left-handed starter 0-0 4-1vs. right-handed starter 0-0 31-14

One-run games 0-0 2-4Two-run games 0-0 7-2Five or more run games 0-0 16-7Extra innings 0-0 0-2

Shutouts 0-0 10-3Run-rule games 0-0 5-3vs. Top-25 0-0 0-4

Scoring 0-2 runs 0-0 0-2Scoring 3-5 runs 0-0 12-5Scoring 6-9 runs 0-0 14-2Scoring 10+ runs 0-0 12-0Opponent scores 0-2 runs 0-0 4-1Opponent scores 3-5 runs 0-0 11-4Opponent scores 6-9 runs 0-0 4-3Opponent scores 10+ runs 0-0 1-3

When GCU scores in 1st inning 0-0 21-3When opponent scores in 1st inning 0-0 6-8GCU scores first 0-0 25-4Opponent scores first 0-0 10-11

GCU out-hits opponents 0-0 30-7Opponent out-hits GCU 0-0 3-7 Hits are tied 0-0 2-1

GCU hits zero home runs 0-0 17-10GCU hits one home run 0-0 11-3GCU hits 2+ home runs 0-0 7-2Opponent hits zero home runs 0-0 28-4Opponent hits one home run 0-0 6-6Opponent hits 2+ home runs v 1-5

GCU makes zero errors 0-0 7-6GCU makes one error 0-0 15-0GCU makes 2+ errors 0-0 13-9Opponent makes zero errors 0-0 8-5Opponent makes one error 0-0 6-5Opponent makes 2+ errors 0-0 21-5

GCU leads after fourth inning 0-0 28-1GCU trails after fourth inning 0-0 3-11Game tied after fourth inning 4-3

GCU leads after fifth inning 0-0 22-1GCU trails after fifith inning 0-0 2-9Game tied after fifth inning 3-3

GCU leads after sixth inning 0-0 19-1GCU trails after sixth inning 0-0 2-8Game tied after sixth inning 3-3

In Feburary 0-0 12-4In March 0-0 13-6In April 0-0 10-5In May 0-0 N/A

THE PIERSON FILEHEAD COACH 14th Season at Grand Canyon Alma Mater: ARIZONA STATE Coaching Overall ConferenceRecord W L W L2017-18 - GCU 0 0 0 02016-17 - GCU 35 15 4 22015-16 - GCU 28 22 7 62014-15 - GCU 27 21 8 62013-14 - GCU 40 19 10 62012-13 - GCU 36 21 10 62011-12 - GCU 22 25 15 32010-11 - GCU 42 13 15 12009-10 - GCU 37 27 13 32008-09 - GCU 24 25 9 32007-08 - GCU 22 28 15 32006-07 - GCU 26 29 15 32005-06 - GCU 16 29 15 32004-05 - GCU 28 24 15 3Career Totals 383 298 105 30

COACHING LEDGER2004-17Grand Canyon (HeadCoach)1998-04 Arizona State (AssistantCoach)

HEAD COACH / GCU RECORD WHEN...

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SOFTBALL 2017 GAME NOTESTV / RADIO ROSTER

TAYLOR NOWLIN SIERRA SMITH MADELYN DOWDLE CAMREE WARTMAN SHEA SMITH JENNA COATS BIANCA BOLING HAILEY FREEMAN

KAMA-LEI SANTIAGO LAYNEE GOMEZ HEAVEN ACQUART LOGAN JOHNSTONBRIANNA

AGUILAR-BEAUCAGEMARIA VALENCIA TAYLOR KAYE LORIANN OLSON

JORDAN KEETON TAYLOR ESCOBAR KENDSEY HILL NIKKI GONZALEZ MEGAN STEVENS

ANN PIERSON CHRISTI MUSSER KELSEY GARDNER AMANDA GARDNER

Head Coach14th Season

Assistant Coach2nd Season

Assistnat Coach2nd Season

Business Opps GA2nd Season

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 15 16 17 18 20 21

22 2524 26 33

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SOFTBALL 2017 GAME NOTES

Grand Canyon SoftballStatistics Summary for Grand Canyon (as of Feb 02, 2017)

(All games)

Record: 35-15 Home: 13-6 Away: 11-1 Neutral: 11-8 Conference: 10-5

Date Opponent Score2/26 NORTHERN ILLINOIS W 11-32/26 MONTANA W 10-22/27 NORTHERN ILLINOIS L 6-102/12 IDAHO STATE W 6-32/12 MARYLAND -BC W 18-02/13 IDAHO STATE W 15-122/13 MARYLAND -BC W 9-02/14 LOYOLA MARYMOUNT W 8-02/14 IDAHO STATE W 9-72/19 vs BYU L 0-42/19 vs Utah State W 8-02/20 vs Hawaii W 8-32/21 vs Colorado State W 3-12/21 vs UT El Paso L 5-123/2 SAINT FRANCIS W 4-03/2 SAINT FRANCIS W 10-73/4 vs BU W 10-33/4 vs St Joseph's W 4-33/5 vs #9 TX A&M L 1-23/10 vs Toledo W 11-33/10 at CSUN W 6-43/11 vs #24 Oregon St. L 4-93/12 vs San Diego W 5-13/12 vs Toledo W 10-22/28 MONTANA L 3-43/18 vs #6 Alabama L 0-93/18 vs DePaul W 3-13/19 vs Oklahoma L 1-73/19 vs UNLV W 8-03/20 vs Arkansas W 6-23/23 at Loyola Marymount W 12-53/23 at Loyola Marymount W 3-1

*4/1 UMKC W 4-2*4/1 UMKC L 7-9*4/2 UMKC L 5-7*4/8 at Seattle University L 2-3*4/8 at Seattle University W 8-0*4/9 at Seattle University W 9-3*4/15 NMST W 6-5*4/15 NMST L 0-8*4/16 NMST L 1-9*4/22 at Utah Valley W 4-0*4/22 at Utah Valley W 10-6*4/23 at Utah Valley W 10-62/20 vs Weber St. L 2-3

*4/29 at CSU Bakersfield W 6-1*4/30 at CSU Bakersfield W 6-4*4/30 at CSU Bakersfield W 4-03/5 vs Pitt L 3-112/27 TEXAS STATE W 10-0

Player avg slug ob% g ab r h 2b 3b hr rbi bb so sb cs eWartman, C . 3 9 2 . 6 2 0 . 4 2 9 50 171 49 67 17 2 6 29 10 19 5 1 18Smith, Sh . 3 7 7 . 5 2 7 . 4 6 4 50 167 45 63 14 1 3 29 24 19 5 0 13Newbury, N . 3 7 3 . 4 4 4 . 4 3 4 50 169 36 63 9 0 1 23 16 7 2 0 10Breland, B . 3 6 4 . 5 1 8 . 4 7 9 44 110 31 40 11 0 2 27 13 11 14 1 6Boling, B . 3 6 4 . 6 9 7 . 3 8 2 18 33 5 12 5 0 2 13 1 4 0 0 1Medina, B . 3 5 7 . 5 4 8 . 3 9 6 36 84 6 30 7 0 3 23 6 7 0 0 0Maher, H . 3 3 3 . 3 3 3 . 5 0 0 7 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0Acquart, H . 3 3 3 . 3 3 3 . 3 3 3 19 3 8 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0Dowdle, M . 3 3 1 . 5 1 1 . 4 1 0 48 139 27 46 7 0 6 38 17 19 2 1 2Gomez, L . 3 2 6 . 3 4 1 . 3 9 7 50 129 33 42 2 0 0 13 16 18 5 0 3Cosay, J . 3 2 1 . 6 7 9 . 3 8 7 10 28 7 9 1 0 3 14 3 4 0 0 0Smith, Si . 3 1 1 . 4 9 7 . 3 5 2 50 167 35 52 5 4 6 39 11 18 2 2 6Kaye, T . 3 0 8 . 4 2 3 . 3 3 3 35 26 10 8 1 1 0 2 1 9 1 2 0Hill, K . 2 8 7 . 4 5 2 . 3 5 7 49 115 14 33 13 0 2 12 13 14 1 0 6Gonzalez, D . 2 6 0 . 3 6 0 . 2 8 8 30 50 3 13 2 0 1 14 2 4 0 0 0Coates, J . 0 8 3 . 0 8 3 . 1 5 4 13 12 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 0Escobar, T . 0 0 0 . 0 0 0 . 3 3 3 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0Totals . 3 4 2 . 4 9 4 . 4 0 6 50 1408 314 481 94 8 35 276 134 161 37 7 72

Opponents . 2 5 6 . 3 6 8 . 3 6 0 50 1256 197 322 49 8 25 168 162 216 38 15 84

LOB - Team (365), Opp (338). DPs turned - Team (26), Opp (13). IBB - Team (0), Opp(1). Picked off - Cosay, J 1.

Player era w-l app gs cg sh sv ip h r er bb so avg hrNowlin, T 2 . 3 1 18-5 36 23 14 6 4 160.2 119 75 53 101 132 . 2 0 4 7Bergman, B 3 . 6 5 7-5 24 13 3 1 2 78.2 100 60 41 33 44 . 3 0 7 11Regester, K 4 . 3 6 9-5 22 14 6 2 0 85.0 103 62 53 28 40 . 2 9 8 7Totals 3 . 1 7 34-15 50 50 23 10 6 324.1 322 197 147 162 216 . 2 5 6 25

Opponents 5 . 4 0 15-35 50 50 17 3 1 313.2 481 314 242 134 161 . 3 4 2 35

PB - Team (6), Hill, K 5, Medina, B 1, Opp (6). Pickoffs - Team (0), Opp (1).SBA/ATT - Hill, K (35-48), Nowlin, T (27-33), Regester, K (5-11), Bergman, B(6-9), Medina, B (3-4).

Score by innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 TotalGrand Canyon 84 43 36 38 37 45 31 0 314Opponents 40 25 26 29 29 26 19 3 197

Win-loss breakouts: Day 32-9; Night 3-6; vs Left 4-1; vs Right 31-14;1-run games 2-4; 2-run games 7-2; 5+run games 16-7; Extra inns 0-2; Shutouts 10-3.Current streak: Won 1; Longest winning streak: 6; Longest losing streak: 3.Attendance: Home 4824 (avg 253); Away 5712 (avg 196); Total 10536 (avg 219).

GRAND CANYON 2016 SEASON STATS

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SOFTBALL 2017 GAME NOTES

Grand Canyon SoftballGames Summary for Grand Canyon (as of May 03, 2016)

(All games)

Score by innings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 TotalGrand Canyon 84 43 36 38 37 45 31 0 314Opponents 40 25 26 29 29 26 19 3 197

Record when ...Overall 35-15

Conference 10-5Non-Conference 25-10

Home games 13-6Away games 11-1Neutral site 11-8Day games 32-9

Night games 3-6vs Left starter 4-1

vs Right starter 31-141-Run games 2-42-Run games 7-2

5+Run games 16-7Extra innings 0-2

Shutouts 10-3

Scoring 0-2 runs 0-8....... 3-5 runs 9-5....... 6-9 runs 14-2

....... 10+ runs 12-0

Opponent 0-2 runs 19-1........ 3-5 runs 11-4........ 6-9 runs 4-7

........ 10+ runs 1-3

Scored in 1st inning 23-5Opp. scored in 1st 11-9

Scores first 25-4Opp. scores first 10-11

After 4 leading 28-1....... trailing 3-11

....... tied 4-3After 5 leading 22-1

....... trailing 2-9....... tied 3-3

After 6 leading 19-1....... trailing 2-8

....... tied 3-3

Hit 0 home runs 17-10... 1 home run 11-3

... 2+ home runs 7-2

Opponent 0 home runs 28-4........ 1 home run 6-6

........ 2+ HRs 1-5

Made 0 errors 7-6.... 1 error 15-0

.... 2+ errors 13-9

Opp. made 0 errors 8-5......... 1 error 6-5

......... 2+ errors 21-5

Out-hit opponent 30-7Out-hit by opponent 3-7

Hits are tied 2-1

Record when team scores:Runs 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10+W-L 0-3 0-3 0-2 3-2 5-1 1-2 6-1 0-1 5-0 3-0 12-0

Record when opponent scores:Runs 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10+W-L 10-0 5-0 4-1 7-2 2-2 2-0 2-0 2-2 0-1 0-4 1-3

Record when leading after:Inn. 1 2 3 4 5 6W-L 21-3 22-4 26-1 28-1 22-1 19-1

Record when trailing after:Inn. 1 2 3 4 5 6W-L 6-8 5-11 3-11 3-11 2-9 2-8

Record when tied after:Inn. 1 2 3 4 5 6W-L 8-4 8-0 6-3 4-3 3-3 3-3

Current winning streak: 3Longest winning streak: 6Longest losing streak: 3

Home attendance : 4824 ( 19 dates avg = 253 )Away attendance : 5712 ( 29 dates avg = 196 )Total attendance: 10536 ( 48 dates avg = 219 )

‹ 10 ›

SOFTBALL 2017 GAME NOTES

Grand Canyon SoftballPer-Game Statistics for Grand Canyon (as of Feb 07, 2017)

(All games Sorted by Batting avg)

Record: 35-15 Home: 13-6 Away: 11-1 Neutral: 11-8 Conference: 10-5

Player g ab h/g 2b/g 3b/g hr/g bb/g so/g rbi/g sb/g r/g *ab *r *h *rbi *bb *k *tb *fly *gndWartman, C 50 171 1 . 3 4 . 3 4 . 0 4 . 1 2 . 2 0 . 3 8 . 5 8 . 1 0 . 9 8 91 26 35 15 5 10 56 22 20Smith, Sh 50 167 1 . 2 6 . 2 8 . 0 2 . 0 6 . 4 8 . 3 8 . 5 8 . 1 0 . 9 0 84 22 31 14 12 9 44 14 27Newbury, N 50 169 1 . 2 6 . 1 8 . 0 0 . 0 2 . 3 2 . 1 4 . 4 6 . 0 4 . 7 2 85 18 31 11 8 3 38 22 26Breland, B 44 110 . 9 1 . 2 5 . 0 0 . 0 5 . 3 0 . 2 5 . 6 1 . 3 2 . 7 0 75 21 27 18 8 7 39 20 19Boling, B 18 33 . 6 7 . 2 8 . 0 0 . 1 1 . 0 6 . 2 2 . 7 2 . 0 0 . 2 8 97 14 35 38 2 11 67 23 23Medina, B 36 84 . 8 3 . 1 9 . 0 0 . 0 8 . 1 7 . 1 9 . 6 4 . 0 0 . 1 7 92 6 32 25 6 7 50 30 19Maher, H 7 3 . 1 4 . 0 0 . 0 0 . 0 0 . 0 0 . 2 9 . 0 0 . 0 0 . 2 9 75 50 25 0 0 50 25 0 0Acquart, H 19 3 . 0 5 . 0 0 . 0 0 . 0 0 . 0 0 . 0 5 . 0 0 . 0 0 . 4 2 100 266 33 0 0 33 33 33 0Dowdle, M 48 139 . 9 6 . 1 5 . 0 0 . 1 3 . 3 5 . 4 0 . 7 9 . 0 4 . 5 6 85 16 28 23 10 11 43 19 22Gomez, L 50 129 . 8 4 . 0 4 . 0 0 . 0 0 . 3 2 . 3 6 . 2 6 . 1 0 . 6 6 84 21 27 8 10 11 28 11 34Cosay, J 10 28 . 9 0 . 1 0 . 0 0 . 3 0 . 3 0 . 4 0 1 . 4 0 . 0 0 . 7 0 90 22 29 45 9 12 61 35 12Smith, Si 50 167 1 . 0 4 . 1 0 . 0 8 . 1 2 . 2 2 . 3 6 . 7 8 . 0 4 . 7 0 92 19 28 21 6 10 46 25 23Kaye, T 35 26 . 2 3 . 0 3 . 0 3 . 0 0 . 0 3 . 2 6 . 0 6 . 0 3 . 2 9 83 32 25 6 3 29 35 0 41Hill, K 49 115 . 6 7 . 2 7 . 0 0 . 0 4 . 2 7 . 2 9 . 2 4 . 0 2 . 2 9 83 10 24 8 9 10 37 26 26Gonzalez, D 30 50 . 4 3 . 0 7 . 0 0 . 0 3 . 0 7 . 1 3 . 4 7 . 0 0 . 1 0 96 5 25 26 3 7 34 34 19Coates, J 13 12 . 0 8 . 0 0 . 0 0 . 0 0 . 0 8 . 2 3 . 0 0 . 0 0 . 2 3 92 23 7 0 7 23 7 46 15Escobar, T 3 2 . 0 0 . 0 0 . 0 0 . 0 0 . 0 0 . 6 7 . 0 0 . 0 0 . 0 0 66 0 0 0 0 66 0 0 0Totals 50 1408 9 . 6 2 1 . 8 8 . 1 6 . 7 0 2 . 6 8 3 . 2 2 5 . 5 2 . 7 4 6 . 2 8 86 19 29 17 8 9 42 21 24Opponents 50 1256 6 . 4 4 . 9 8 . 1 6 . 5 0 3 . 2 4 4 . 3 2 3 . 3 6 . 7 6 3 . 9 4 83 13 21 11 10 14 30 17 29

* = average based on 100 plate appearances

(All games Sorted by Earned run avg)

Player app ip ip/app w-l +ip +h +r +er +bb +so +2b +3b +hr +bf +era +fly +gndNowlin, T 36 160.2 4.1 18-5 7.0 5 . 2 3 . 3 2 . 3 4 . 4 5 . 8 0 . 8 0 . 2 0 . 3 3 1 . 8 2 . 3 1 5 . 9 8 . 2Bergman, B 24 78.2 3.0 7-5 7.0 8 . 9 5 . 3 3 . 6 2 . 9 3 . 9 1 . 3 0 . 1 1 . 0 3 3 . 6 3 . 6 5 5 . 6 1 0 . 4Regester, K 22 85.0 3.2 9-5 7.0 8 . 5 5 . 1 4 . 4 2 . 3 3 . 3 1 . 3 0 . 2 0 . 6 3 2 . 9 4 . 3 6 5 . 2 1 1 . 2Totals 50 324.1 6.1 34-15 7.0 6 . 9 4 . 3 3 . 2 3 . 5 4 . 7 1 . 1 0 . 2 0 . 5 3 2 . 5 3 . 1 7 5 . 6 9 . 5Opponents 50 313.2 6.0 15-35 7.0 1 0 . 7 7 . 0 5 . 4 3 . 0 3 . 6 2 . 1 0 . 2 0 . 8 3 6 . 1 5 . 4 0 7 . 7 8 . 9

+ = average based on 7-inning game

Hitting minimums - 1 GamesPitching minimums - 1 Games