SAN MARCOS, Texas – After playing seven of its first eight games at Bobcat Ballpark, the Texas State baseball team (6-2) plays its first series on the road this weekend. The Bobcats will take on Grand Canyon (6-2) for three games beginning on Friday at 7 p.m. CT. Saturday's game will also begin at 7 p.m. CT and the finale on Sunday sees first pitch at 2 p.m. CT.
 
All three games will be streamed on ESPN+.
 
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
Friday: TXST RHP Levi Wells (2-0, 0.77 ERA) vs. GCU LHP Zach Thornton (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Saturday: TXST RHP Zeke Wood (1-1, 4.15 ERA) vs. GCU RHP Daniel Avitia (1-0, 2.70 ERA)
Sunday: TXST RHP Nathan Medrano (#) vs. GCU LHP Connor Markl (0-0, 3.48 ERA)
 
ABOUT TEXAS STATE
TXST won its first two midweek games of the season with a 12-8 victory at Incarnate Word and followed with a 6-2 win back in San Marcos against Sam Houston. This weekend will mark the last road games until Mar. 24-26 for a series at Coastal Carolina.
 
Jose Gonzalez leads the Bobcats with a .519 batting average, 14 hits and four home runs. He shares the top mark on the team of 16 RBI and three stolen bases with Daylan Pena and Kameron Weil, respectively. Peyton Lewis enters hitting .364 while Cade Manning has posted a .350 average with 10 runs scored and drawn a team best nine walks. Also with a .300 batting average is Pena, who has hit three homers as well.
 
Friday will see Levi Wells take the mound with his 2-0 record, 0.77 ERA and 15 strikeouts. Zeke Wood (1-1, 11 K) is slated for Saturday's start and on the rubber Sunday will be Nathan Medrano (0-1, 12 K).
 
Triston Dixon (6.00 ERA, 5 K) has come on in relief a team-high four times. Three relief appearances have been made by Cameron Bush (1.69 ERA), Austin Smith (6.00 ERA), Jack Stroud (0.00 ERA) and Otto Wofford (6.75 ERA).
 
ABOUT GRAND CANYON
The Lopes enters the series having won four straight contests. They are 5-1 at home this season with the lone loss coming to Michigan State by a score of 7-1 on Feb. 20.
 
Jacob Wilson, one of the topo prospects for the 2023 MLB Draft, leads GCU with a .379 average, 11 hits, two triples and 13 RBI. He has struck out just once in 29 at-bats. Zach Yorke enters hitting .375 with three doubles and seven RBI. Also batting over .300 is Cade Verdusco (.323, 8 R) and Tyler Wilson (.333, 9 RBI).
 
Taking the hill on Friday will Zach Thornton, a left-hander that has yet to allow a run in 11.2 innings and recorded 17 strikeouts. Saturday's starter will be Daniel Avitia, who sports a 1-0 record with 2.70 ERA in 6.2 innings. Connor Markl takes the mound on Sunday and comes in with a 3.48 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 10.1 frames.
 
Claiming the lone save of the season for the Lopes has been Bryan Webb (4.50 ERA). A team-high three relief appearances have been made by Tyson Heaton (12.00 ERA), Carson Ohl (0.00 ERA) and Blake Reilly (4.91 ERA).
 
SERIES VS. LOPES
This weekend will be the first-ever meeting between the programs. It will be the second straight year that Texas State has played a series in the Grand Canyon State that saw the team take two of three from Arizona.
 
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