Arizona baseball’s 2027 signing class features Texas flavor and a former LSU commit

UA baseball’s 11-man signing class announced Wednesday includes two players from Texas high schools and a pair from the same junior college in the Lone Star State.

“Texas is a state we’re really trying to get into and recruit better,” Wildcats coach Chip Hale said during an interview on ZONA+. “Being in the Big 12, it’s helped us. We’re starting to see that open up.”

One of the two signees from McLennan Community College in Waco — where two current UA pitchers played this past season — is also a Texas native.

Infielder Luke Tucker originally committed to LSU coming out of Krum High School. He announced in the summer that he would be attending McLennan instead.

Tucker stated that he still planned to play for LSU (which has the No. 1-ranked recruiting class for 2027, per Baseball America). But he re-opened his recruitment and signed with Arizona.

“Big, strong lefty that eventually will hit for power for us,” Hale said. “He’s had a very successful high school career and went a route that not a lot of guys would. (He is) gonna get a ton of at-bats this spring playing for McLennan, a bunch in the summer in summer ball. So when he comes in next fall, he’ll be ready to compete for a starting job.”

Arizona’s class includes five pitchers, two of whom are left-handers. The current roster features only two southpaws.

Four players are from the state of Arizona, including lefty Braxton Bjur, a Buckeye native who’s playing for Pima Community College.

Here's a snapshot of the 11-member UA class of 2027:

LHP Braxton Bjur

Hometown: Buckeye

Previous school: Pima Community College

Notable: Ranked as the No. 8 lefty in the state in the class of 2025 by Perfect Game, Bjur posted a 2-3 record with a 4.54 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 37⅔ innings as a freshman at Pima.

INF Maddon DelaCruz

Hometown: Phoenix

Previous school: Corona Del Sol High School

Notable: Ranked as the No. 95 shortstop nationally and the No. 6 shortstop in Arizona by Perfect Game, DelaCruz posted a .350 on-base percentage and had 10 stolen bases in 10 attempts as a junior at Corona Del Sol.

C Roman Derichsweiler

Hometown: Dallas

Previous school: Jesuit College Prep

Notable: Derichsweiler is ranked as the No. 15 catcher nationally and the No. 1 catcher in Texas by Perfect Game for the class of 2027.

INF Manny Ehinger

Hometown: Sherwood, Oregon

Previous school: Sherwood High School

Notable: Ranked the No. 3 infielder and No. 11 overall player in Oregon by Perfect Game, Ehinger batted .319 with a .451 on-base percentage as a junior at Sherwood.

OF Chayce Formosa

Hometown: Discovery Bay, California

Previous school: Liberty High School

Notable: Ranked the No. 14 outfielder and No. 44 overall player nationally by Perfect Game, Formosa batted .383 with six home runs and 24 RBIs in 81 at-bats as a junior at Liberty.

RHP Brendan Freeman

Hometown: McKinney, Texas

Previous school: Emerson High School

Notable: Freeman is ranked as the No. 17 right-hander and No. 68 overall player in Texas by Perfect Game for the class of 2027.

LHP Ayden McGinnis

Hometown: Phoenix

Previous school: Sandra Day O’Connor High School

Notable: Ranked the No. 73 left-hander nationally and No. 4 in the state by Perfect Game, McGinnis struck out 37 batters in 24⅔ innings as a junior at Sandra Day O’Connor.

RHP Grady Openden

Hometown: Phoenix

Previous school: Brophy College Prep

Notable: Ranked the No. 10 right-hander and No. 46 overall player in Arizona by Perfect Game, Openden attends the same school that produced current UA pitchers Benton Hickman and Jack Lafflam.

OF Chris Sinacori

Hometown: Phoenix

Previous school: Brophy College Prep

Notable: Ranked the No. 5 outfielder and No. 26 overall player in Arizona by Perfect Game, Sinacori is the son of Chris Sinacori, who played professionally in the 1990s and coached for multiple Division I schools (ASU, Wake Forest) and MLB organizations (White Sox, Mariners).

INF Luke Tucker

Hometown: Krum, Texas

Previous school: McLennan Community College

Notable: Tucker was ranked as the No. 7 shortstop and No. 32 overall player in Texas for the class of 2026 by Perfect Game.

RHP Gino Zagorac

Hometown: Darien, Illinois

Previous school: McLennan Community College

Notable: Ranked as the No. 45 right-hander in Illinois for the class of 2025 by Perfect Game, Zagorac posted a 1.00 WHIP as a freshman at McLennan, where he was roommates with current UA pitcher Hawk Bowers.