Pack comeback seals opener against GCU

Nevada 13, GCU 9
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Reno, Nev. – Don Weir Field at Peccole Park

WP: Luke Schat (2-2)

LP: Chase Frey (2-7)

RENO, Nev. – Nevada capitalized on a key GCU error to score eight runs in the pivotal seventh inning and went on to a 13-9 win in Thursday’s series opener at Don Weir Field at Peccole Park.

With the win, Nevada sews up the No. 4 seed at next week’s Credit Union 1 Mountain West Championship in Mesa, Arizona. The Wolf Pack will face No. 5 New Mexico in the single-elimination play-in round next Thursday, May 21, at 6:05 p.m. at Sloan Park.

Jake Harvey’s third home run of the season, a solo shot, led off the seventh to put the Wolf Pack (24-24, 13-9 MW) up 6-5, but the key play came three batters later with Jayce Dobie facing Lopes reliever Cam Cunnings.

After Rominic Quiban’s double off of starter Chase Frey prompted the GCU pitching change to Cunnings, Dobie skied a pop-up in front of the plate. A miscommunication between Cunnings and catcher Mito Perez led to Perez bumping Cunnings which allowed the ball to fall safely and Quiban and Dobie to end up on third and second, respectively.

The Lopes (19-30, 9-13 MW) intentionally walked Mikey Cruz Jr., then Quiban came in on Junhyuk Kwon’s sacrifice fly to right. At that point, the Pack took full advantage of its gift out, as after Dobie and Cruz advanced on a wild pitch, Sean Yamaguchi and Jackson Waller broke the game open with RBI singles through the left side to make it 9-5.

Jacob Doyle’s walk loaded the bases and Harvey delivered his second hit of the frame, lining a single into right-center to plate Yamaguchi and Waller and make it 11-5. After Harvey stole second, Jack Metcho’s grounder found its way up the middle to score two more and put the Pack in front, 13-5.

Nevada’s comeback was set up by a three-run sixth which took advantage of another Lopes drop. With one out, Dobie’s pop-up behind first base was dropped by second baseman Jake Sanko, and Cruz made the Lopes pay with a double to left-center to score Dobie. Kwon doubled off the top of the wall down the line in left to score Cruz, then came across with the tying run on Yamaguchi’s single up the middle.

Harvey led the Pack with three RBIs on a 2-for-4 night, while Cruz, Kwon and Yamaguchi each drove in two runs.

On the mound, Luke Schat got the win in relief, going 2.1 innings after starter Aidan Brainard went six innings, with only three of his five runs earned.

Frey fell to 2-7 for GCU, giving up seven runs (five earned) on six hits over 6.1 innings. Frey held the Wolf Pack in check until the sixth, allowing no hits from the second through the fifth. At the plate, Camden Bates drove in two for the Lopes.

Nevada goes for the series win Friday night at 6:05 p.m.