Completed Event: Baseball at Stanford on May 9, 2025 , Win , 4, to, 3
Baseball
at Stanford
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Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: David Kadlubowski
Lopes trio projects well at MLB Draft Combine
6/22/2023 6:00:00 AM | Baseball, Paul Coro
GCU's Bush, Thornton, Wilson get time on MLB Network, Diamondbacks field
With hats bearing the logo of "The Show" that they wish to join, Grand Canyon players spent part of this week walking the turf and halls of a Major League Baseball park where they hope to return through a players' entrance someday.
GCU juniors Homer Bush Jr., Zach Thornton and Jacob Wilson showed how close they are to their dreams by taking part in the MLB Draft Combine that was just 8 miles from GCU Ballpark.
Wilson, a shortstop who is a high first-round prospect, and Bush, a center fielder projected in the top 100, were joined at the Arizona Diamondbacks' Chase Field by Thornton, a pitcher whose GCU season also put him on draft radars to be No. 163 on MLB.com's rankings.
As the No. 7 player on MLB.com's list, Wilson was the highest ranked collegiate player in attendance this week and mainly participated in Wednesday interviews with general managers, scouting directors and other team executives in Chase Field suites.
Bush went through Tuesday's batting practice and outfield work while Thornton threw off the mound with scouts scattered across the stadium seats and field level.
GCU was one of 17 college programs with at least three players at the MLB Draft Combine, which hosted 143 top college players among the 274 draft prospects. The Lopes are one of 10 college teams to have three players in the MLB.com's top 165 draft prospects.
Wilson established himself as one of the best players in the nation as a GCU sophomore, when he was a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist and the hardest batter to strike out in Division I. He repeated each feat as a junior and wound up with 12 strikeouts in 492 plate appearances over the last two Lopes seasons.
On Tuesday, Wilson joined MLB Network's live broadcast for an interview by the Chase Field right-field pool, where he shared how his mindset changed once his GCU sophomore season set him up to be on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. After that summer experience, Wilson went from hitting .358 and slugging .585 as a sophomore to .411 and .635 as a junior, respectively.
"Going there and being able to compete against those guys, being able to fit in and actually look the part was pretty special to me," Wilson said. "It was something I'll look back on the rest of my life. That was the moment I realized, 'I can do this. This is something I really want to do.' "
GCU assistant coach Jack Wilson, Jacob's father, was one of the former MLB players who worked the weeklong event that included medical testing. For players who participated in the exam, they are guaranteed 75% of their draft slot value in the July 9-11 MLB Draft in Seattle, where Wilson will be with 16 relatives and friends.
In the past 29 drafts, the Lopes have had one player selected in the top three rounds — 2018 third-round pick Jake Wong, who is in Triple A for Cincinnati. This year, GCU could have two players go in the top three rounds with Bush ranked No. 94 by MLB.com. There are 101 picks in the first three rounds.
Bush emerged from going 1 for 6 as a freshman to being an every-day starter as a sophomore with .270 hitting, .349 slugging and seven stolen bases. After a summer at the Cape Cod Baseball League, Bush vaulted to .370 hitting, .500 slugging and 25 stolen bases this year while cutting his strikeouts nearly in half.
Also a MLB son, Bush was put on the spot by MLB Network about who was faster between him now and his dad, Homer Sr., in his prime.
"Me … I don't even think he would argue it," Bush said. "He's humble, though, so maybe he's just being a father figure, but I truly think I got him."
Bush said his MLB comparison would be Michael Harris II, the Atlanta Braves center fielder who was last season's National League Rookie of the Year.
"I'm a big fan of his game," Bush said. "He's one of the guys known for defense and he started to develop and grew into some power. Now, he's in the Big Leagues and he's pretty dang good. If my career took a similar trajectory, that'd be pretty cool."
Thornton, a 6-foot-3 left-handed pitcher, played in the MLB Draft League twice to show his wares and also threw Tuesday at Chase Field.
With scouts drawn to GCU Ballpark to evaluate Wilson and Bush all season, Thornton made his case by throwing up to 94 mph and being known mostly for command of a five-pitch repertoire — a four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, a slider, a change-up and a cutter.
"I love going out there and completing," said Thornton, a Dick Howser Trophy semifinalist who went 9-2 with a 3.87 ERA this season. "Going out to the Draft League, flashing new pitches for the scouts and MLB team to see, I think it will me benefit me well."
GCU juniors Homer Bush Jr., Zach Thornton and Jacob Wilson showed how close they are to their dreams by taking part in the MLB Draft Combine that was just 8 miles from GCU Ballpark.
Wilson, a shortstop who is a high first-round prospect, and Bush, a center fielder projected in the top 100, were joined at the Arizona Diamondbacks' Chase Field by Thornton, a pitcher whose GCU season also put him on draft radars to be No. 163 on MLB.com's rankings.As the No. 7 player on MLB.com's list, Wilson was the highest ranked collegiate player in attendance this week and mainly participated in Wednesday interviews with general managers, scouting directors and other team executives in Chase Field suites.
Bush went through Tuesday's batting practice and outfield work while Thornton threw off the mound with scouts scattered across the stadium seats and field level.
GCU was one of 17 college programs with at least three players at the MLB Draft Combine, which hosted 143 top college players among the 274 draft prospects. The Lopes are one of 10 college teams to have three players in the MLB.com's top 165 draft prospects.
Wilson established himself as one of the best players in the nation as a GCU sophomore, when he was a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist and the hardest batter to strike out in Division I. He repeated each feat as a junior and wound up with 12 strikeouts in 492 plate appearances over the last two Lopes seasons.On Tuesday, Wilson joined MLB Network's live broadcast for an interview by the Chase Field right-field pool, where he shared how his mindset changed once his GCU sophomore season set him up to be on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. After that summer experience, Wilson went from hitting .358 and slugging .585 as a sophomore to .411 and .635 as a junior, respectively.
"Going there and being able to compete against those guys, being able to fit in and actually look the part was pretty special to me," Wilson said. "It was something I'll look back on the rest of my life. That was the moment I realized, 'I can do this. This is something I really want to do.' "
GCU assistant coach Jack Wilson, Jacob's father, was one of the former MLB players who worked the weeklong event that included medical testing. For players who participated in the exam, they are guaranteed 75% of their draft slot value in the July 9-11 MLB Draft in Seattle, where Wilson will be with 16 relatives and friends.
In the past 29 drafts, the Lopes have had one player selected in the top three rounds — 2018 third-round pick Jake Wong, who is in Triple A for Cincinnati. This year, GCU could have two players go in the top three rounds with Bush ranked No. 94 by MLB.com. There are 101 picks in the first three rounds.Bush emerged from going 1 for 6 as a freshman to being an every-day starter as a sophomore with .270 hitting, .349 slugging and seven stolen bases. After a summer at the Cape Cod Baseball League, Bush vaulted to .370 hitting, .500 slugging and 25 stolen bases this year while cutting his strikeouts nearly in half.
Also a MLB son, Bush was put on the spot by MLB Network about who was faster between him now and his dad, Homer Sr., in his prime.
"Me … I don't even think he would argue it," Bush said. "He's humble, though, so maybe he's just being a father figure, but I truly think I got him."
Bush said his MLB comparison would be Michael Harris II, the Atlanta Braves center fielder who was last season's National League Rookie of the Year.
"I'm a big fan of his game," Bush said. "He's one of the guys known for defense and he started to develop and grew into some power. Now, he's in the Big Leagues and he's pretty dang good. If my career took a similar trajectory, that'd be pretty cool."
Thornton, a 6-foot-3 left-handed pitcher, played in the MLB Draft League twice to show his wares and also threw Tuesday at Chase Field.
With scouts drawn to GCU Ballpark to evaluate Wilson and Bush all season, Thornton made his case by throwing up to 94 mph and being known mostly for command of a five-pitch repertoire — a four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, a slider, a change-up and a cutter.
"I love going out there and completing," said Thornton, a Dick Howser Trophy semifinalist who went 9-2 with a 3.87 ERA this season. "Going out to the Draft League, flashing new pitches for the scouts and MLB team to see, I think it will me benefit me well."
Colleges with most MLB Draft Combine participants |
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| 5: | Miami |
| 4: | Arkansas, Maryland, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, UCLA, Washington |
| 3: | GCU, Arizona State, Charlotte, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech |
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.@homerbushjr and @ZThor22 under the lights. #LopesUp pic.twitter.com/2zSME4i4Kw
— Grand Canyon Baseball (@GCU_Baseball) June 21, 2023
Coach-player, father-son!@TheMayorsOffice sits down with @GCU_Baseball coach Jack Wilson and son Jacob Wilson, one of the top prospects in the upcoming @MLBDraft. #FathersDay pic.twitter.com/iFKGLj7RIW
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 18, 2023
Players Mentioned
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