University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Northern Colorado Baseball Announces Five Additions to Roster
7/10/2026 11:00:00 AM | Baseball
GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado baseball has announced the edition of five new signees who will be the joining the Bears.
MEET THE SIGNEES
COLE PFEIFER | INFIELDER | ARVADA, COLO. | RALSTON VALLEY HS
The Bears welcome Cole Pfeifer, a versatile three-sport athlete from Arvada, Colorado. Pfeifer joins Northern Colorado after a successful prep career at Ralston Valley High School, where he competed in baseball, basketball and football. A nine-time letterwinner, Pfeifer earned two All-Conference honors in both baseball and football, helped lead his basketball team to a state runner-up finish and was a two-time Academic All-State honoree.
The son of Tiffany and Justin Pfeifer, Cole has three siblings: Cameron (26), Caley (16) and Crosby (11). His favorite baseball memory came during his junior season when he hit a three-run home run in the playoffs.
Pfeifer chose Northern Colorado because of the opportunity to be part of a program on the rise and help build something special. He looks forward to competing for championships while continuing to grow as a player and person. Off the field, he plans to pursue a degree in Exercise Science.
LOGAN STECKEL | PITCHER | PARKER, COLO. | CHAPARRAL HS
A talented pitcher from Parker, Colorado. Steckel joins Northern Colorado after spending time at Southeast Community College and Northeastern Junior College, where he earned First Team All-Region honors for his performance on the mound.
Logan has strong ties to Northern Colorado, as his mother and uncle are UNC graduates. He has one sibling, Clare (17), and enjoys snowboarding, hiking and studying economics.
Steckel chose Northern Colorado because it felt like the right fit and checked all the boxes he was looking for in a program. He looks forward to helping the Bears compete while continuing to grow as a player and person. Off the field, he plans to pursue a degree in Business Administration.
GUNNER GIENGER | PITCHER | CASTLE ROCK, COLO. | DOUGLAS COUNTY HS
The Bears also welcome Gunner Gienger, a talented left-handed pitcher from Castle Rock, Colorado. Gienger joins Northern Colorado after a standout prep career at Douglas County High School, where he was a four-year varsity letterwinner and earned multiple honors, including Continental League Second Team All-Conference honors in 2024 and 2025, CHSAA All-Conference First Team recognition and CHSAA All-State Honorable Mention.
The son of Leslie and Craig Gienger, Gunner comes from a strong baseball family. His father played baseball at BYU and professionally with the Oakland Athletics from 1992-98, while his brother Murphy is a UNC graduate. He also has two siblings, Kendall (27) and Lexie (22).
Gienger chose Northern Colorado because of the people and team culture surrounding the program. He looks forward to continuing to develop as a player while helping the Bears compete at a high level. Off the field, he enjoys video games, Formula 1 racing, camping, hiking and spending time with friends.
RYDER FLORENCE | SHORTSTOP | DRAPER, UTAH | CORNER CANYON HS
A talented infielder from Draper, Utah. Florence joins Northern Colorado after spending the 2024-26 seasons at Scottsdale Community College. A standout two-sport athlete at Corner Canyon High School, Florence competed in baseball and football before continuing his baseball career at the collegiate level.
The son of Emily and Ryan Florence, Ryder comes from an athletic family, as his father played baseball at the University of Utah. He has two siblings, Maddux (18) and Reese (14). Outside of baseball, Florence enjoys golf and hunting.
Florence chose Northern Colorado because he felt it was the best place for him to develop as a player and compete at a high level. He looks forward to helping the Bears win games while continuing to grow on and off the field. Off the field, he plans to pursue a degree in Business.
HARRISON HART | FIRST BASEMAN | OMAHA, NEB. | MILLARD SOUTH HS
Lastly, the Bears welcome Harrison Hart, a first baseman from Omaha, Nebraska. Hart joins Northern Colorado after playing at Southeast Community College in 2024 and Western Nebraska Community College in 2025. A three-sport athlete at Millard South High School, Hart competed in baseball, football and basketball before continuing his baseball career at the junior college level. He was also inducted into Phi Theta Kappa for his academic achievements.
Harrison comes from an accomplished athletic family, as both of his parents competed in track and field at Indiana University. Outside of baseball, he enjoys gaming and hiking.
Hart chose Northern Colorado after building relationships with Coach Anderson and Coach Opitz, believing the program was the right fit for his continued development. He plans to pursue a degree in General Business while helping the Bears compete for championships and work toward his goal of playing professional baseball.
DIAMOND CLUB: The Diamond Club plays a vital role in supporting the UNC Baseball program. By giving to the Diamond Club, you help provide access to facility enhancements—such as the Jackson Field Turf Project—along with advanced technology and elevated daily operations, giving our student-athletes the resources to compete and excel at the highest level.
Give to the Diamond Club today!
FOLLOW THE BEARS: For complete coverage of UNC Athletics, visit uncbears.com. Follow the baseball team on X (formerly Twitter) (@UNC_BearsBSB) and Instagram (@UNC_BearsBaseball).
MEET THE SIGNEES
COLE PFEIFER | INFIELDER | ARVADA, COLO. | RALSTON VALLEY HS
The Bears welcome Cole Pfeifer, a versatile three-sport athlete from Arvada, Colorado. Pfeifer joins Northern Colorado after a successful prep career at Ralston Valley High School, where he competed in baseball, basketball and football. A nine-time letterwinner, Pfeifer earned two All-Conference honors in both baseball and football, helped lead his basketball team to a state runner-up finish and was a two-time Academic All-State honoree.
The son of Tiffany and Justin Pfeifer, Cole has three siblings: Cameron (26), Caley (16) and Crosby (11). His favorite baseball memory came during his junior season when he hit a three-run home run in the playoffs.
Pfeifer chose Northern Colorado because of the opportunity to be part of a program on the rise and help build something special. He looks forward to competing for championships while continuing to grow as a player and person. Off the field, he plans to pursue a degree in Exercise Science.
LOGAN STECKEL | PITCHER | PARKER, COLO. | CHAPARRAL HS
A talented pitcher from Parker, Colorado. Steckel joins Northern Colorado after spending time at Southeast Community College and Northeastern Junior College, where he earned First Team All-Region honors for his performance on the mound.
Logan has strong ties to Northern Colorado, as his mother and uncle are UNC graduates. He has one sibling, Clare (17), and enjoys snowboarding, hiking and studying economics.
Steckel chose Northern Colorado because it felt like the right fit and checked all the boxes he was looking for in a program. He looks forward to helping the Bears compete while continuing to grow as a player and person. Off the field, he plans to pursue a degree in Business Administration.
GUNNER GIENGER | PITCHER | CASTLE ROCK, COLO. | DOUGLAS COUNTY HS
The Bears also welcome Gunner Gienger, a talented left-handed pitcher from Castle Rock, Colorado. Gienger joins Northern Colorado after a standout prep career at Douglas County High School, where he was a four-year varsity letterwinner and earned multiple honors, including Continental League Second Team All-Conference honors in 2024 and 2025, CHSAA All-Conference First Team recognition and CHSAA All-State Honorable Mention.
The son of Leslie and Craig Gienger, Gunner comes from a strong baseball family. His father played baseball at BYU and professionally with the Oakland Athletics from 1992-98, while his brother Murphy is a UNC graduate. He also has two siblings, Kendall (27) and Lexie (22).
Gienger chose Northern Colorado because of the people and team culture surrounding the program. He looks forward to continuing to develop as a player while helping the Bears compete at a high level. Off the field, he enjoys video games, Formula 1 racing, camping, hiking and spending time with friends.
RYDER FLORENCE | SHORTSTOP | DRAPER, UTAH | CORNER CANYON HS
A talented infielder from Draper, Utah. Florence joins Northern Colorado after spending the 2024-26 seasons at Scottsdale Community College. A standout two-sport athlete at Corner Canyon High School, Florence competed in baseball and football before continuing his baseball career at the collegiate level.
The son of Emily and Ryan Florence, Ryder comes from an athletic family, as his father played baseball at the University of Utah. He has two siblings, Maddux (18) and Reese (14). Outside of baseball, Florence enjoys golf and hunting.
Florence chose Northern Colorado because he felt it was the best place for him to develop as a player and compete at a high level. He looks forward to helping the Bears win games while continuing to grow on and off the field. Off the field, he plans to pursue a degree in Business.
HARRISON HART | FIRST BASEMAN | OMAHA, NEB. | MILLARD SOUTH HS
Lastly, the Bears welcome Harrison Hart, a first baseman from Omaha, Nebraska. Hart joins Northern Colorado after playing at Southeast Community College in 2024 and Western Nebraska Community College in 2025. A three-sport athlete at Millard South High School, Hart competed in baseball, football and basketball before continuing his baseball career at the junior college level. He was also inducted into Phi Theta Kappa for his academic achievements.
Harrison comes from an accomplished athletic family, as both of his parents competed in track and field at Indiana University. Outside of baseball, he enjoys gaming and hiking.
Hart chose Northern Colorado after building relationships with Coach Anderson and Coach Opitz, believing the program was the right fit for his continued development. He plans to pursue a degree in General Business while helping the Bears compete for championships and work toward his goal of playing professional baseball.
DIAMOND CLUB: The Diamond Club plays a vital role in supporting the UNC Baseball program. By giving to the Diamond Club, you help provide access to facility enhancements—such as the Jackson Field Turf Project—along with advanced technology and elevated daily operations, giving our student-athletes the resources to compete and excel at the highest level.
Give to the Diamond Club today!
FOLLOW THE BEARS: For complete coverage of UNC Athletics, visit uncbears.com. Follow the baseball team on X (formerly Twitter) (@UNC_BearsBSB) and Instagram (@UNC_BearsBaseball).
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