11.13.26 | Baseball
Musketeers add eight for 2028 season
CINCINNATI - Billy O'Conner announced the addition of eight new signees during the fall signing period, with the new Musketeers set to join the program next fall ahead of the 2028 season.
Â
Colin Bennett is a right-handed pitcher from Novi, Mich., where he attends Novi High School.
Bennett is a four-year member of the varsity team at Novi for head coach Rick Green. He's helped his squad to over 70 wins in his three seasons so far, earning All-Conference honors three times. He has club experience playing for Five Star National and most recently the Indiana Bulls and is coming off a summer where he posted a 1.34 ERA through 15.2 innings, holding opposing batters to a .179 average at the plate and collecting 18 strikeouts.
Bennett plans on majoring in Business at Xavier. He is the son of Jennifer and Steve Bennett, and has one sibling, Reganne.
Â
Andrew Chute is a corner infielder/outfielder from Westlake Village, Calif., where he attends Chaminade College Preparatory.
Chute is in his third season on Kyle Wilkerson's varsity team at Chaminade College Preparatory after spending his freshman season at Notre Dame High School. He's coming off a 2026 season where he batted .370, which ranked in the top ten of the Mission League, and finished with a .703 slugging percentage after collecting 10 doubles and two home runs. He has club experience playing with the SoCal Giants Scout Team and Legacy Baseball- National. With Legacy National, he posted a .330 average at the plate and helped the team to three tournament championships in between 2024 and 2026.
Chute plans on majoring in Communications at Xavier. He is the son of Amy and John Chute and has one brother, Patrick.
Â
Owen Franciscus is an infielder from Lebanon, Ohio, where he attends Lebanon High School.
Franciscus is a member of Keith Shilt's varsity program at Lebanon, playing shortstop and third primarily. He has posted a .344 average at the plate and earned a .932 fielding percentage, helping the team to 37 wins over the past two seasons. He's been named to the honor roll three times and earned the Scholar-Athlete Award at Lebanon. He has over 10 years of experience playing club baseball, most recently with the Cincinnati Aces in 2025 and 2026. Last summer, he finished with a .371 batting average and a .901 fielding percentage as the Aces won 23 games.
Franciscus plans on majoring in Business at Xavier. He is the son of John and Nikki Franciscus.
Jack Gavin is an outfielder from Iowa City, Iowa where he attends Regina Catholic
Gavin is a four-year member of Mark Roering's varsity team at Regina Catholic, helping his team to over 60 wins in the past three seasons. He's twice earned First Team All-River Valley South conference, was named all-district twice and has earned All-State honors during his prep career. He has five years of club baseball experience, helping his team to three fall championships in Iowa.
Gavin plans on majoring in Business administration at Xavier. He's the son of Patrick and Amanda Gavin, and has four siblings, Grace, Stella, Scarlett and Olive. His father played baseball for Xavier, and his mother ran track at Iowa State.
Â
Korbin Greaves is a left-handed pitcher from Ajax, Ontario, and currently attends Pickering High School.
Greaves is a four-year member of Scott Robinson's team at Pickering High School, pitching and playing first base. He's posted a 0.00 ERA on the mound and at the plate, has a .450 batting average with a .530 on base percentage, and a .600 slugging percentage, earning MVP twice and Athlete of the Year during his time at Pickering. Greaves also has experience playing club baseball with the Ontario Blue Jays and the Ontario Yankees, posting a 2.3 ERA across 112 innings pitched, collecting 145 strikeouts as he helped his teams to 111 wins across the last four seasons.
Greaves plans to major in Finance at Xavier. He is the son of Florence and Kirck Greaves and has one sibling, Kaeden.
Â
Brody Mauro is an outfielder and first baseman from Fair Haven, N.J., where he attends the Ranney School.
Mauro has three years of experience playing for coach Pat Geroni at the Ranney School, helping the team to over 70 wins in the past three seasons, winning the MCT Championship in 2026. He posted a .323 average the plate, with six home runs among his 33 hits, and earned a spot on the MAPSC All-Tournament Team. Mauro has club experience playing with Ghost National, and has taken part in Perfect Game and PBR tournaments, earning Preseason Underclassman All-American honors in 2025 and 2026. He's also played two seasons of varsity basketball at The Raney School.
Mauro plans on majoring in Business at Xavier. He's the son of Brian and Susan Mauro, and has one sibling, Ella. His father played collegiate soccer at Virginia Tech.
Â
Keegan Seipp is a first baseman from Troy, Ill., where he attends Triad High School.
Seipp is a four-year varsity starter for Jesse Bugger's team at Triad. He's coming off a 2026 season where he batted .398, collecting 51 hits, including 16 home runs, and drove in 53 RBI for the team that won Regional, Sectional and Super Sectional Championships, finishing runners up in the IHSA State Championship. Following his junior season, he earned Mississippi Valley All-Conference First Team for a second-straight season and was named St. Louis Post Dispatch Player of the Year, Prep Baseball's All-Illinois First team, Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association 3A All-State, ABCA/Rawlings All-Region Four, and was a Max Preps Underclass All-American. He has club experience playing for Gators Baseball Academy and is also a First Team All-Mississippi Valley Conference player for Triad's football team.
Seipp plans on Majoring in Business at Xavier. He is the son of Andrew and Scott Seipp, and has a twin brother, Kannon, who will play baseball at Jefferson College Community College.
Rhys Whiteford is a catcher from Duncan, British Columbia, who attends Foothills Composite High School.
Whiteford has experience playing at Foothills Compost and Okotoks Dawgs, under coach Tyler Hollick. During his prep career, he's helped his squad to a 60-win season, earning the No. 2 ranking in North America, and a 40-win season, winning a national championship.
Whiteford plans on majoring in Sports Management at Xavier. He is the son of Dan and Erin Whiteford, and has one sibling, Taylor.
Â
Â
Colin Bennett is a right-handed pitcher from Novi, Mich., where he attends Novi High School.
Bennett is a four-year member of the varsity team at Novi for head coach Rick Green. He's helped his squad to over 70 wins in his three seasons so far, earning All-Conference honors three times. He has club experience playing for Five Star National and most recently the Indiana Bulls and is coming off a summer where he posted a 1.34 ERA through 15.2 innings, holding opposing batters to a .179 average at the plate and collecting 18 strikeouts.
Bennett plans on majoring in Business at Xavier. He is the son of Jennifer and Steve Bennett, and has one sibling, Reganne.
Â
Andrew Chute is a corner infielder/outfielder from Westlake Village, Calif., where he attends Chaminade College Preparatory.
Chute is in his third season on Kyle Wilkerson's varsity team at Chaminade College Preparatory after spending his freshman season at Notre Dame High School. He's coming off a 2026 season where he batted .370, which ranked in the top ten of the Mission League, and finished with a .703 slugging percentage after collecting 10 doubles and two home runs. He has club experience playing with the SoCal Giants Scout Team and Legacy Baseball- National. With Legacy National, he posted a .330 average at the plate and helped the team to three tournament championships in between 2024 and 2026.
Chute plans on majoring in Communications at Xavier. He is the son of Amy and John Chute and has one brother, Patrick.
Â
Owen Franciscus is an infielder from Lebanon, Ohio, where he attends Lebanon High School.
Franciscus is a member of Keith Shilt's varsity program at Lebanon, playing shortstop and third primarily. He has posted a .344 average at the plate and earned a .932 fielding percentage, helping the team to 37 wins over the past two seasons. He's been named to the honor roll three times and earned the Scholar-Athlete Award at Lebanon. He has over 10 years of experience playing club baseball, most recently with the Cincinnati Aces in 2025 and 2026. Last summer, he finished with a .371 batting average and a .901 fielding percentage as the Aces won 23 games.
Franciscus plans on majoring in Business at Xavier. He is the son of John and Nikki Franciscus.
Jack Gavin is an outfielder from Iowa City, Iowa where he attends Regina Catholic
Gavin is a four-year member of Mark Roering's varsity team at Regina Catholic, helping his team to over 60 wins in the past three seasons. He's twice earned First Team All-River Valley South conference, was named all-district twice and has earned All-State honors during his prep career. He has five years of club baseball experience, helping his team to three fall championships in Iowa.
Gavin plans on majoring in Business administration at Xavier. He's the son of Patrick and Amanda Gavin, and has four siblings, Grace, Stella, Scarlett and Olive. His father played baseball for Xavier, and his mother ran track at Iowa State.
Â
Korbin Greaves is a left-handed pitcher from Ajax, Ontario, and currently attends Pickering High School.
Greaves is a four-year member of Scott Robinson's team at Pickering High School, pitching and playing first base. He's posted a 0.00 ERA on the mound and at the plate, has a .450 batting average with a .530 on base percentage, and a .600 slugging percentage, earning MVP twice and Athlete of the Year during his time at Pickering. Greaves also has experience playing club baseball with the Ontario Blue Jays and the Ontario Yankees, posting a 2.3 ERA across 112 innings pitched, collecting 145 strikeouts as he helped his teams to 111 wins across the last four seasons.
Greaves plans to major in Finance at Xavier. He is the son of Florence and Kirck Greaves and has one sibling, Kaeden.
Â
Brody Mauro is an outfielder and first baseman from Fair Haven, N.J., where he attends the Ranney School.
Mauro has three years of experience playing for coach Pat Geroni at the Ranney School, helping the team to over 70 wins in the past three seasons, winning the MCT Championship in 2026. He posted a .323 average the plate, with six home runs among his 33 hits, and earned a spot on the MAPSC All-Tournament Team. Mauro has club experience playing with Ghost National, and has taken part in Perfect Game and PBR tournaments, earning Preseason Underclassman All-American honors in 2025 and 2026. He's also played two seasons of varsity basketball at The Raney School.
Mauro plans on majoring in Business at Xavier. He's the son of Brian and Susan Mauro, and has one sibling, Ella. His father played collegiate soccer at Virginia Tech.
Â
Keegan Seipp is a first baseman from Troy, Ill., where he attends Triad High School.
Seipp is a four-year varsity starter for Jesse Bugger's team at Triad. He's coming off a 2026 season where he batted .398, collecting 51 hits, including 16 home runs, and drove in 53 RBI for the team that won Regional, Sectional and Super Sectional Championships, finishing runners up in the IHSA State Championship. Following his junior season, he earned Mississippi Valley All-Conference First Team for a second-straight season and was named St. Louis Post Dispatch Player of the Year, Prep Baseball's All-Illinois First team, Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association 3A All-State, ABCA/Rawlings All-Region Four, and was a Max Preps Underclass All-American. He has club experience playing for Gators Baseball Academy and is also a First Team All-Mississippi Valley Conference player for Triad's football team.
Seipp plans on Majoring in Business at Xavier. He is the son of Andrew and Scott Seipp, and has a twin brother, Kannon, who will play baseball at Jefferson College Community College.
Rhys Whiteford is a catcher from Duncan, British Columbia, who attends Foothills Composite High School.
Whiteford has experience playing at Foothills Compost and Okotoks Dawgs, under coach Tyler Hollick. During his prep career, he's helped his squad to a 60-win season, earning the No. 2 ranking in North America, and a 40-win season, winning a national championship.
Whiteford plans on majoring in Sports Management at Xavier. He is the son of Dan and Erin Whiteford, and has one sibling, Taylor.
Â
Sunday, May 24
Saturday, May 23
Thursday, May 21
Saturday, May 16