There’s an often used phrase in sports that goes, ‘Defense wins championships.’
That phrase must be plastered all over the Lopes’ baseball team’s locker room, because they came very close to getting a national title this year, falling just short in the Division II Baseball Championship.
As a team, Grand Canyon had the second best fielding percentage (.975) in the country. In 59 games, they committed 59 errors.
Even though the team came back from Cary, N.C., without a crown, a few of their players are the kings of defense at their respective positions.
First baseman Michael Pomeroy and pitcher Andrew Naderer were both named to the 2013 Rawlings/ABCA NCAA Division II Gold Glove Team.
Grand Canyon is the only school in the United States with more than one representative chosen.
Pomeroy played 53 games at first base this season and committed zero errors. He had 497 putouts and 41 assists in 538 total chances.
Naderer – the only freshman selected as a Gold Glover – had eight putouts and 28 assists in 36 total chances.
Like Pomeroy, Naderer had zero errors on the season.
