GAMES #8-11
ART U (1-6) vs. Grand Canyon (5-4)
Phoenix, AZ -- Brazell Stadium
Live Stats

Thursday, Feb 28 at 6:00 PM PT (7:00 PM Mountain Time)
Friday, March 1 at 3:00 PM PT (4:00 PM Mountain Time) (Game 1)
Saturday, March 2 at 11:00 AM PT (12:00 PM Mountain Time)

LEADING OFF
The Academy of Art baseball team is back after a long break and is starting PacWest play this week against Grand Canyon. The PacWest now has 10 members, and the Knights and Antelopes are among the five that have not yet started conference games, and will head out on a busy March schedule after only playing seven games in February.

GERCKEN KEEPING IT CLEAN
Redshirt sophomore Nate Gercken has made two starts this season, and has yet to allow a single earned run. His 8.1 inning streak to start the season gives him the best ERA out of all the starters, while opponents are hitting only .115 against him. Gercken has also been stingy with baserunners, walking none. Gercken made two starts against the Lopes last year, including one of his best starts of the season, a hard-luck loss where he went 6.0 innings and gave up only one run, the only run of the game in a 1-0 loss.

'LOPES CRACK REGIONAL RANKINGS
Grand Canyon is 5-4 on the season but do have a five-game winning streak to their credit, granting them the tenth spot in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association West Region Poll. The Lopes continue to hit the ball well, hitting .299 as a team. Steven Swingle has two homers so far to go along with a .421 average, while last year's top two hitters on the conference, Michael Pomeroy (.394) and Derek Mendoza (.314), are right behind him. Last eek's opponent, Chico State, maintained the top spot, giving the Knights two of the region's top teams on the schedule to start the year.

BIG INNINGS SINK KNIGHTS
The Urban Knights were more into the series against Chico State than the final scores played out, usually hanging with the top team in the West with the exception of one big inning. Academy of Art was down only one run in game two until the eighth and ninth innings, were down only 3-0 heading into the middle innings of game three until a big ninth inning, and in the series finale held a 1-0 lead through the first six innings.

ON DECK
After the Antelopes, the Knights will come back to Laney College and take on California Baptist, who have lost seven of their last ten games . That series will start on March 7 with a game at 7PM, followed by another night game on Friday March 8, and finish with a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 11AM.