Justin Morales delivered two hitless, scoreless innings for Grand Canyon University against Chandler-Gilbert Community College, striking out five batters and reaching a top velocity of 97 mph.
The Aruban right-hander faced eight batters, recording six outs and issuing two walks in the fall exhibition appearance. The performance details were supplied to Baseball Aruba.
Five strikeouts in two innings
Morales recorded five of his six outs by strikeout, allowing no hits and no runs across his two innings of work. His 97 mph top velocity added another highlight to the outing as he prepares for the upcoming college season.
His line: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K, 8 batters faced. Top velocity: 97 mph.
Fall exhibition, not an intrasquad game
This appearance came against Chandler-Gilbert Community College, an outside opponent. It is separate from Grand Canyon's Fall World Series, the internal competition in which Lopes teammates are divided into teams wearing different colors.
A new chapter for Morales
Grand Canyon lists Morales as a senior right-handed pitcher from Oranjestad, Aruba. Standing 6-foot-4, he wears No. 45 for the Lopes after previous stops at Tallahassee State College and Bethune-Cookman.
GCU announced Morales as the first official signing under new head coach Steve Bieser. According to the university, he arrived after recording a 2–1 record, two saves and a 3.42 ERA across 19 appearances for Bethune-Cookman in 2026.
Now, fall competition offers another step in that journey: facing hitters, working with new teammates and preparing for the 2027 season.
For fans in Aruba, the outing offers an encouraging early look at Morales in Grand Canyon colors as his next college chapter takes shape.
Sources: Appearance statistics and top velocity supplied to Baseball Aruba; Grand Canyon University Athletics official roster (https://gculopes.com/sports/baseball/roster/) and signing announcement (https://gculopes.com/news/2026/6/19/baseball-running-roster-lopes-build-for-2027).