Upcoming Event: Baseball at Hawai'i on March 25, 2027
Baseball
at Hawai'i
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Running roster: Lopes build for 2027
6/19/2026 5:48:00 PM | Baseball
Track GCU's official signings
As Grand Canyon's baseball roster builds for the 2027 season, follow along the latest signings under first-year head coach Steve Bieser.
Morales also brings rare international experience to GCU after being selected to represent the Netherlands in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Aruba is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, making Morales eligible to compete for the Dutch national team, a program he has represented several times on the international stage. Prior to Bethune-Cookman, Morales pitched two seasons at Tallahassee State College, totaling 62 strikeouts in 68 innings. A former triathlete from an athletic family, Morales is the son of former Olympic swimmer Yvette Thuis and gives the Lopes a 6-foot-4 right-hander with international pedigree and late-inning experience.
Geraghty's move to GCU continues a college career that has included stops at Wichita State and Jacksonville State. In his first season with the Gamecocks in 2025, he worked 30 2/3 innings, went 2-1 with one save and struck out 25 batters, highlighted by three scoreless innings against Auburn and a hitless save against Dallas Baptist in the Conference USA Baseball Tournament to send Jacksonville State to the championship game. He also earned 2025 CSC Academic All-District honors. A former highly regarded prep arm, Geraghty was ranked by Perfect Game as the No. 4 right-handed pitcher in Illinois, earned all-state honors and participated in USA Baseball's Prospect Development Pipeline and the Area Code Games before beginning his college career.
Ildefonso's 2026 season included several high-end offensive performances, beginning with a 13-game hitting streak to open the year. He delivered one of FIU's biggest swings of the season with a walk-off three-run homer in a 10-9 win over Stony Brook, then later turned in a career performance with five hits, two home runs and nine RBIs in a 30-21 win at New Mexico State. He also produced against high-level competition with two hits, a double and two RBIs at No. 10 Florida. Ildefonso was a 2026 Conference USA Preseason All-Conference selection after earning 2025 CUSA All-Freshman Team honors, when he hit .304 with 49 hits, 11 doubles, six home runs and 37 RBIs as FIU's primary designated hitter.
Jenkins' offensive profile stood out across several categories, highlighted by 28 extra-base hits and 120 total bases in his first full college season. He opened the year with a pair of early multi-homer performances, including a four-hit, two-homer, five-RBI game against Iowa Western. Jenkins also drove in three runs in wins over Seminole State, Ranger, Tyler Junior College and Cisco. Before McLennan, Jenkins was a redshirt at Baylor and a standout at Trinity Christian Academy, where he hit .348 with 48 RBIs and 31 stolen bases, earned first-team all-district and all-tournament honors and helped his team win a 2023 state championship.
Justin Morales (June 15)
Senior | Right-handed pitcher | Oranjestad, Aruba | Bethune-Cookman
Morales, a 6-foot-4 right-hander from Aruba, became the first official signing under Bieser. Morales arrives after spending the 2026 season at Bethune-Cookman, where he helped the Wildcats go 38-20 overall and 23-7 in SWAC play to claim the league's regular-season championship. Used primarily out of the bullpen, Morales posted a 2-1 record, two saves and a 3.42 ERA in 19 appearances, striking out 23 batters in 26 1/3 innings while allowing just 18 hits and no home runs. His strongest stretch came early in the season, when he lowered his ERA to 1.20 after scoreless outings against Prairie View A&M, Alcorn State and Jackson State.Morales also brings rare international experience to GCU after being selected to represent the Netherlands in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Aruba is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, making Morales eligible to compete for the Dutch national team, a program he has represented several times on the international stage. Prior to Bethune-Cookman, Morales pitched two seasons at Tallahassee State College, totaling 62 strikeouts in 68 innings. A former triathlete from an athletic family, Morales is the son of former Olympic swimmer Yvette Thuis and gives the Lopes a 6-foot-4 right-hander with international pedigree and late-inning experience.
Ryan Geraghty (June 15)
Senior | Right-handed pitcher | Mundelein, Ill. | Jacksonville State
GCU added a familiar arm for Bieser in Geraghty, a 6-foot-1 right-hander who joins from Jacksonville State. Geraghty was part of a 2026 Gamecocks team that went 48-15, reached the championship round of the Hattiesburg Regional and featured one of the nation's top pitching staffs with the No. 9 ERA. He appeared in 19 games with four starts, going 2-2 with a 5.44 ERA while striking out 45 batters in 41 1/3 innings. His 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings highlighted his swing-and-miss ability, and he delivered several strong outings, including two scoreless innings with six strikeouts in a road win at Auburn and 5 2/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts in another win over Auburn later in the season.Geraghty's move to GCU continues a college career that has included stops at Wichita State and Jacksonville State. In his first season with the Gamecocks in 2025, he worked 30 2/3 innings, went 2-1 with one save and struck out 25 batters, highlighted by three scoreless innings against Auburn and a hitless save against Dallas Baptist in the Conference USA Baseball Tournament to send Jacksonville State to the championship game. He also earned 2025 CSC Academic All-District honors. A former highly regarded prep arm, Geraghty was ranked by Perfect Game as the No. 4 right-handed pitcher in Illinois, earned all-state honors and participated in USA Baseball's Prospect Development Pipeline and the Area Code Games before beginning his college career.
Andrew Ildefonso (June 18)
RS Junior | Outfielder | Miami, Fla. | Florida International
The Lopes added a proven middle-of-the-order bat in Ildefonso, a 6-foot-1 outfielder who comes to GCU after two productive seasons at FIU. Ildefonso started all 54 games as a redshirt sophomore in 2026, leading the Panthers with 65 hits while batting .290 with nine home runs, 13 doubles, one triple and 44 RBIs. His hit total and 17 multi-hit games were both team highs, and his 44 RBIs ranked second on the team. Ildefonso also established himself as one of the nation's tougher hitters to strike out, ranking in the top 70 nationally by striking out once every 10.2 at bats.Ildefonso's 2026 season included several high-end offensive performances, beginning with a 13-game hitting streak to open the year. He delivered one of FIU's biggest swings of the season with a walk-off three-run homer in a 10-9 win over Stony Brook, then later turned in a career performance with five hits, two home runs and nine RBIs in a 30-21 win at New Mexico State. He also produced against high-level competition with two hits, a double and two RBIs at No. 10 Florida. Ildefonso was a 2026 Conference USA Preseason All-Conference selection after earning 2025 CUSA All-Freshman Team honors, when he hit .304 with 49 hits, 11 doubles, six home runs and 37 RBIs as FIU's primary designated hitter.
Samuel Jenkins (June 19)
RS Sophomore | Outfielder | Dallas, Texas | Baylor/McLennan CC
GCU signed a power-speed outfielder in Jenkins, a 6-foot-2 right-handed hitter from Dallas who comes to GCU after spending the 2026 season at McLennan Community College. Jenkins made an immediate impact after redshirting at Baylor in 2025, appearing in 57 games for McLennan and hitting .331 with a .485 on-base percentage and .686 slugging percentage. He totaled 58 hits, 57 runs, 51 RBIs, nine doubles, four triples and 15 home runs while drawing 40 walks and being hit by 15 pitches. Jenkins also added 18 stolen bases in 19 attempts.Jenkins' offensive profile stood out across several categories, highlighted by 28 extra-base hits and 120 total bases in his first full college season. He opened the year with a pair of early multi-homer performances, including a four-hit, two-homer, five-RBI game against Iowa Western. Jenkins also drove in three runs in wins over Seminole State, Ranger, Tyler Junior College and Cisco. Before McLennan, Jenkins was a redshirt at Baylor and a standout at Trinity Christian Academy, where he hit .348 with 48 RBIs and 31 stolen bases, earned first-team all-district and all-tournament honors and helped his team win a 2023 state championship.
Thursday, June 11
Friday, June 05
Monday, June 01
Saturday, May 16