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Packanik, Kramer join Bieser’s GCU staff
6/10/2026 12:30:00 PM | Baseball
Packanik named associate head coach, recruiting coordinator; Kramer takes over pitching staff after helping Jacksonville State rank among nation’s best
Grand Canyon head coach Steve Bieser announced the first additions to his coaching staff with the hiring of Tyler Packanik as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator and Ryan Kramer as pitching coach.
Both coaches join Bieser in Phoenix after helping Jacksonville State complete the most accomplished Division I season in program history. The Gamecocks went 48-15, won Conference USA regular-season and tournament championships, reached an NCAA Regional final and finished the season ranked No. 21 nationally. The hires are both subject to completion of university hiring processes.
Packanik has worked alongside Bieser for six seasons across Missouri and Jacksonville State, while Kramer is the reigning CUSA Assistant Coach of the Year for directing one of the nation's most effective pitching staffs during his first season with the Gamecocks.
"Tyler and Ryan are outstanding coaches who share the vision we have for GCU Baseball," Bieser said. "They are relentless workers, tremendous teachers and men of high character who care deeply about developing student-athletes on and off the field. They played important roles in what we built at Jacksonville State, and I am excited for them to help establish the culture and championship standard we expect at GCU."
Packanik recently completed his third season at Jacksonville State after following Bieser from Missouri, where the two worked together for three seasons. He will oversee the Lopes' recruiting operation while working closely with the program's position players, defense and baserunning.
"I'm extremely excited to join the GCU community and continue coaching alongside Coach Bieser, who I've had the pleasure of working with at both Mizzou and Jax State," Packanik said. "My family and I are thrilled for this opportunity, and we're eager to build on GCU's great baseball tradition and make a strong run toward Omaha."
Packanik quickly elevated Jacksonville State's recruiting profile after arriving in 2023. His first recruiting class received a No. 87 national ranking from Perfect Game, the highest ranking for a Jacksonville State class since the organization began ranking recruiting classes in 2011.
His work also helped produce a versatile and fundamentally sound 2026 team. Jacksonville State ranked second nationally with 74 sacrifice bunts, fifth with 40 sacrifice flies and 13th with 52 double plays. The Gamecocks led CUSA in all three categories while also pacing the league in batting average, hits, doubles and on-base percentage. Jacksonville State stole 106 bases in 2026 after swiping 92 during Packanik's first season, which was the program's highest total since 2010.
Before joining Bieser's staff at Missouri, Packanik served as Stetson's director of personnel and video coordination from 2018 to 2020. He led the Hatters' scouting and video efforts, prepared opponent reports and incorporated intricate data into coaching and recruiting. Packanik began his collegiate coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Bucknell in 2017-18. He coached the infielders, assisted with hitters, served as first-base coach and coordinated the program's camps. The Plant City, Florida, native graduated from Marietta College in 2016.
Kramer arrives at GCU after making an immediate impact during his lone season as Jacksonville State's pitching coach. Despite joining the Gamecocks in December 2025, Kramer helped develop a staff that finished among the national leaders in nearly every major run-prevention category.
Jacksonville State ranked ninth nationally and first in Conference USA with a 3.91 ERA. The Gamecocks also ranked third nationally with seven shutouts, sixth in hits allowed per nine innings at 7.38, 16th in strikeouts per nine innings at 10.4 and 20th with a 1.32 WHIP. Three Jacksonville State pitchers ranked among Conference USA's top seven in strikeouts per nine innings. Steven Cash posted a 3.01 ERA to lead the conference, ranked 30th nationally by allowing 6.42 hits per nine innings and tied for the conference lead with nine victories. Skyler Hutto ranked sixth nationally with 12 saves.
Before Jacksonville State, Kramer served as Campbell's director of player development. He oversaw the Camels' athletic, academic and personal development while helping a pitching staff that ranked among the nation's top 50 with 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings. Kramer previously served as Millersville's pitching coach beginning with the 2021 season. He helped the Marauders win three Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East titles, the 2022 PSAC championship and the 2023 NCAA Atlantic Region championship.
Kramer spent the previous five seasons at Dickinson as pitching coach, third-base coach and recruiting coordinator. He was part of the three winningest seasons in program history and coached more all-conference pitchers during his tenure than Dickinson had produced throughout the remainder of its history.
Kramer was a four-year letter winner, two-time All-Centennial Conference selection and two-time captain at Dickinson. As a senior, he went 5-2 with a 1.61 ERA in 61 2/3 innings and set a program record by holding opponents to a .188 batting average. He continued his playing career at McGill, where he helped the program win a Canadian national championship. Kramer threw a three-hit, complete-game shutout with 13 strikeouts in the national semifinals and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Pitcher and Canadian National Pitcher of the Year.
Bieser reunites the core of a Jacksonville State staff that transformed a program coming off four consecutive losing seasons into a nationally ranked conference champion in Bieser's third year. GCU hired Bieser after the Gamecocks accumulated the fourth-most wins nationally and advanced to an NCAA Regional championship game.
Both coaches join Bieser in Phoenix after helping Jacksonville State complete the most accomplished Division I season in program history. The Gamecocks went 48-15, won Conference USA regular-season and tournament championships, reached an NCAA Regional final and finished the season ranked No. 21 nationally. The hires are both subject to completion of university hiring processes.
Packanik has worked alongside Bieser for six seasons across Missouri and Jacksonville State, while Kramer is the reigning CUSA Assistant Coach of the Year for directing one of the nation's most effective pitching staffs during his first season with the Gamecocks.
"Tyler and Ryan are outstanding coaches who share the vision we have for GCU Baseball," Bieser said. "They are relentless workers, tremendous teachers and men of high character who care deeply about developing student-athletes on and off the field. They played important roles in what we built at Jacksonville State, and I am excited for them to help establish the culture and championship standard we expect at GCU."
Packanik recently completed his third season at Jacksonville State after following Bieser from Missouri, where the two worked together for three seasons. He will oversee the Lopes' recruiting operation while working closely with the program's position players, defense and baserunning.
"I'm extremely excited to join the GCU community and continue coaching alongside Coach Bieser, who I've had the pleasure of working with at both Mizzou and Jax State," Packanik said. "My family and I are thrilled for this opportunity, and we're eager to build on GCU's great baseball tradition and make a strong run toward Omaha."
Packanik quickly elevated Jacksonville State's recruiting profile after arriving in 2023. His first recruiting class received a No. 87 national ranking from Perfect Game, the highest ranking for a Jacksonville State class since the organization began ranking recruiting classes in 2011.
His work also helped produce a versatile and fundamentally sound 2026 team. Jacksonville State ranked second nationally with 74 sacrifice bunts, fifth with 40 sacrifice flies and 13th with 52 double plays. The Gamecocks led CUSA in all three categories while also pacing the league in batting average, hits, doubles and on-base percentage. Jacksonville State stole 106 bases in 2026 after swiping 92 during Packanik's first season, which was the program's highest total since 2010.
Before joining Bieser's staff at Missouri, Packanik served as Stetson's director of personnel and video coordination from 2018 to 2020. He led the Hatters' scouting and video efforts, prepared opponent reports and incorporated intricate data into coaching and recruiting. Packanik began his collegiate coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Bucknell in 2017-18. He coached the infielders, assisted with hitters, served as first-base coach and coordinated the program's camps. The Plant City, Florida, native graduated from Marietta College in 2016.
Kramer arrives at GCU after making an immediate impact during his lone season as Jacksonville State's pitching coach. Despite joining the Gamecocks in December 2025, Kramer helped develop a staff that finished among the national leaders in nearly every major run-prevention category.
Jacksonville State ranked ninth nationally and first in Conference USA with a 3.91 ERA. The Gamecocks also ranked third nationally with seven shutouts, sixth in hits allowed per nine innings at 7.38, 16th in strikeouts per nine innings at 10.4 and 20th with a 1.32 WHIP. Three Jacksonville State pitchers ranked among Conference USA's top seven in strikeouts per nine innings. Steven Cash posted a 3.01 ERA to lead the conference, ranked 30th nationally by allowing 6.42 hits per nine innings and tied for the conference lead with nine victories. Skyler Hutto ranked sixth nationally with 12 saves.
Before Jacksonville State, Kramer served as Campbell's director of player development. He oversaw the Camels' athletic, academic and personal development while helping a pitching staff that ranked among the nation's top 50 with 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings. Kramer previously served as Millersville's pitching coach beginning with the 2021 season. He helped the Marauders win three Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East titles, the 2022 PSAC championship and the 2023 NCAA Atlantic Region championship.
Kramer spent the previous five seasons at Dickinson as pitching coach, third-base coach and recruiting coordinator. He was part of the three winningest seasons in program history and coached more all-conference pitchers during his tenure than Dickinson had produced throughout the remainder of its history.
Kramer was a four-year letter winner, two-time All-Centennial Conference selection and two-time captain at Dickinson. As a senior, he went 5-2 with a 1.61 ERA in 61 2/3 innings and set a program record by holding opponents to a .188 batting average. He continued his playing career at McGill, where he helped the program win a Canadian national championship. Kramer threw a three-hit, complete-game shutout with 13 strikeouts in the national semifinals and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Pitcher and Canadian National Pitcher of the Year.
Bieser reunites the core of a Jacksonville State staff that transformed a program coming off four consecutive losing seasons into a nationally ranked conference champion in Bieser's third year. GCU hired Bieser after the Gamecocks accumulated the fourth-most wins nationally and advanced to an NCAA Regional championship game.
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