Utah Finishes 4-0 Sweep of Grand Canyon in Ballpark Debut Series
Mar 9, 2026, 2:57 PM
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah baseball didn’t just christen its new home this weekend. The Utes swept the series in it.
Utah capped a historic opening homestand Monday with a 7–2 victory over Grand Canyon at Charlie Monfort Field at America First Ballpark, completing a four-game sweep and putting an emphatic stamp on the program’s first series at its new on-campus stadium.
The win followed three earlier victories — 9–0 on Friday, 1–0 on Saturday, and 4–0 on Sunday — as Utah opened the new ballpark with three straight shutouts before finishing the sweep in the finale.
Utah has not had three consecutive shutout victories since at least 1987.
For a program that spent decades playing its “home” games away from campus, the weekend felt like both a celebration and a statement — a new stadium, a new era, and a team that looked immediately comfortable in its new home.
Utah Finishes the Sweep Monday
Utah capped the weekend in convincing fashion Monday, defeating Grand Canyon 7–2 to complete a four-game series sweep and finish a historic opening homestand undefeated at America First Ballpark.
The Utes collected 11 hits in the finale and erased an early 2–1 deficit with a steady offensive push across the middle innings. Cameron Gurney delivered the biggest swing of the day, launching a two-run homer in the third inning and finishing 2-for-3 with four RBIs, while Daniel Arambula added three hits and an RBI and Luke Jacobs chipped in two hits and two RBIs.
Utah broke the game open in the sixth inning, stringing together four hits and scoring three runs to stretch the lead to 6–2. The rally included an RBI double from Jacobs and run-scoring hits from Arambula and Gurney.
On the mound, Anson McGorman earned the win, throwing a scoreless inning in relief as part of a deep bullpen effort. Utah used eight pitchers, who combined to hold Grand Canyon to six hits and two runs across nine innings.
The victory completed a dominant weekend for Utah, which swept the four-game set 9–0, 1–0, 4–0, and 7–2, christening its new on-campus home with four straight wins.
For a program finally playing a true home series on campus, the message from opening weekend was unmistakable.
Utah got it done Sunday
The Utes got a 4–0 win Sunday, again limiting the Lopes offensively while generating enough timely hitting to control the game.
Utah outhit Grand Canyon 10–6, with Jake Long leading the way with a 3-for-4 day, including a double and a 395-foot solo home run in the eighth inning that added insurance late. Jack Kleveno chipped in two hits and two RBIs, while Jet Gilliam added two hits and an RBI as Utah pieced together offense throughout the afternoon.
Grand Canyon managed six hits but couldn’t capitalize on scoring opportunities, going 0-for-1 with runners in scoring position, as Utah pitchers worked around scattered baserunners throughout the game.
On the mound, Justin Abercrombie earned the win, throwing five scoreless innings while allowing six hits, before Dylan Gazaway slammed the door with four perfect innings, striking out four to record the save. The pair combined for Utah’s third consecutive shutout of the series.
Utah built its lead with a two-run second inning on Kleveno’s RBI single, added another run in the sixth on Gilliam’s RBI knock, and Long’s eighth-inning homer pushed the margin to four as the pitching staff closed out the shutout.
Pitching Sets the Tone All Weekend
Utah’s success throughout the series started and ended on the mound.
The Utes opened the weekend Friday with a 9–0 shutout, highlighted by a dominant start from Colter McAnelly, who allowed just two hits across six scoreless innings while striking out nine in the historic first game at the new ballpark.
Utah followed that performance Saturday with a tightly contested 1–0 victory. Payton Riske was super solid through six innings, giving up just four hits against 23 batters faced. The pitching and defense were both fantastic as Grand Canyon was held off the board.
On Sunday, if Grand Canyon was going to win, it would have to break through against a Utah pitching staff that had been nearly untouchable through two games. That, obviously, never happened.
Dating back to this past Monday at Loyola Marymount, Utah did not allow a run in 33 consecutive innings.
A Ballpark Debut to Remember
By the end of the series, Utah had completed a 4–0 sweep of Grand Canyon, outscoring the Lopes 21–2 across the four games.
The Utes opened the historic homestand with wins of 9–0, 1–0, and 4–0, including three consecutive shutouts, before closing the series Monday with a 7–2 victory to finish the sweep.
The result made for a near-perfect introduction to America First Ballpark, the long-awaited on-campus home for Utah baseball and a major investment in the program’s future.
Fans filled the new stadium throughout the weekend, experiencing something Utah baseball has rarely had — a true home atmosphere on campus.
