With the final month of the school year fast approaching, the ever-looming Crossroads League Tournaments and Championships stand as the final barrier for entry for Taylor’s spring sports.
Six different teams will be competing for a CL crown. Some teams have already clinched spots in the NAIA tournament, while others will look to the tournament as a chance for a magical run to continue their season.
Softball (25-21, 17-15):
Coming off of their Cinderella run through the Crossroads League Tournament last season, the Trojans want nothing less than a return to the NAIA Opening Rounds and a shot to make the World Series.
This season, Taylor is led by a monstrous hitting core. Six starters sport a batting average over .300 with 20 more RBI. The senior duo of first basewoman Jersey Tannehill and program walks leader outfielder Aleyah Rastetter bring a veteran presence to the team while being supported by a young core that includes one of the NAIA’s best hitters: sophomore Kaylee Larkin.
Larkin will be a force for any pitcher as she ranks top 10 in the NAIA in home runs (13) OBP (.556), SLG (.877) and walks (29).
On the mound, the starting duo of sophomore Mady Foy and junior Mackenzie Noah bring season-long experience they have each thrown over 110 innings. Foy is a monster on the mound averaging 2.78 K/7 (strikeouts per game) while Noah leads the team with a 3.86 ERA and a 12-7 record.
Currently, the Trojans are sitting in fifth place just behind Mount Vernon Nazarene and a game ahead of Huntington, which would put them in the play-in tournament against Goshen, Saint Francis or Grace.
Taylor went 7-3 against those three teams in the regular season, with two of their losses coming against Grace. Carrying a 17-15 record, Taylor will rely on their offense to recapture the magic of last season starting on April 30.
No. 18 Baseball (33-13, 24-6):
Last season the Taylor Trojans finished as one of the top six teams in the NAIA, making it to the World Series, only dropping games to the two teams that made the final, Lewis Clark State and Westmont (Cal.).
Nothing short of a return to the World Series will satisfy the Trojans, but that starts by winning the Crossroads League Tournament.
In 2023, the Trojans took home the regular season crown, but close losses to Spring Arbor in 10 innings and Mount Vernon Nazarene sent them home early from the conference tournament.
This season, Taylor won the conference for the second straight season and will await the worst seed that escapes the play-in tournament: MVNU, Marian, Spring Arbor or Grace.
The Trojans are currently 16-2 at home and went 15-1 against the four teams they may face. Their biggest threat to Taylor repeating as conference champions will be Indiana Wesleyan. The two split their season series 2-2, but Taylor took their last win with a vengeance, winning 24-1 over the Wildcats on Apr. 13.
In the tournament, Taylor will rely on the bats of sophomore outfielder Brayden Manning and junior infielder Mason David, who lead the team in hits (58 and 57) and extra-base hits (21 and 24). Meanwhile, senior Alec Holcomb and sophomore Gabel Pentecost will be must-watch starters on the mound.
Holcomb currently leads Taylor in wins, sporting an 8-2 record, while Pentecost leads the team with a 2.58 ERA and 75 strikeouts to go along with his 6-1 record.
The Crossroads League Tournament will take place between May 1 and May 6 with Taylor looking to win the league and the tournament for the first time since 2013.
Women’s Outdoor Track and Field:
Ranked as the fourth-best team in the conference, the women’s indoor track and field team will go to the Crossroads League Championships off of one of the year’s best overall performances.
At the Little State Championships in Marion, IN, senior Ashley Hall broke a school record in the 400-meter dash with a time of 57.12 seconds, clearing the NAIA B Standard. The 4x800 meter relay team of junior Abby Mays, sophomore Noel VanderWall, senior Emily Johnson and senior Olivia Jeanette also hit the NAIA B Standard as well.
Taylor will also look to dominate the 5,000 meters after junior Audrey Brinkruff, senior Mollie Gamble, senior Ahna Neideck and freshman Sam Patterson all finished in the top eight in Marion.
The last time Taylor took the CL was in 2018. This year they’ll have to compete with No. 21 Indiana Wesleyan and the reigning champions who have won the league three years in a row, No. 3 Marian.
The Crossroads League Championships will be hosted by Indiana Wesleyan University on May 2 and 3.
Men’s Outdoor Track and Field:
Slotting in at number six in the CL between MVNU and Bethel, the Trojans are setting up for a monster performance at the CL Championships.
After finishing fourth in the Little State Championships in Marion, IN, Taylor will be looking to place high in events like the 4x800 meter relay where senior Nathan Brainier, sophomore Joel Mumaw, senior Ben Eiffert and senior Nate Conkel will be looking to replicate their NAIA B Standard performance.
Sophomore pole vaulter Josh Forbes is coming off of back-to-back NAIA A Standard vaults and will try to stretch the streak to three straight while Conkel and Brainer will race in the 800 meters and attempt to replicate their top-five finishes.
Meanwhile, the one-two punch of sophomores Ryan Hanak and Luke Harber look to bring home medals in the 5,000-meter event after setting personal bests in Marion.
The Crossroads League Championships will be hosted by Indiana Wesleyan University on May 2-3.
RV Men’s Golf:
After Marian broke apart the Trojans’ run of six straight conference championships during the 2022-23 season, the men’s golf team looks to return to Crossroads League glory.
This season, the Knights are the only other Crossroads team receiving votes and the Trojans have flirted with the top 25 all season.
Taylor has quite a bit of momentum built up after taking third at the Ackerman-Allen Shootout on Apr. 15 and placing second at the Sagamore Invitational a week later on the 22nd.
Senior Adam Kasitz is in prime form finishing as Taylor’s top finisher at both of the last two events and taking second overall at Sagamore. Sophomores Will Schuitema and Kyle Kasitz will also be looking to head into conference with a hot hand. Schiutema took third overall at Sagamore and is tied for Taylor’s top performance of the year with a 67-stroke performance at the William Carey Classic in March while Kyle Kasitz has Taylor’s lone individual win from the Purgatory Intercollegiate in late March.
The defending champion Marian Knights will host the Crossroads League Championships as Taylor looks to take back their spot on top at the Chariot Run Golf Club on Apr. 29-30.
No. 21 Women’s Golf:
Taylor’s women’s golf team will be coming into this year’s conference championship on a hot streak. The side has finished in the top three in six out of their last seven invitationals and only finished below fourth in one event all season.
TU’s toughest competition will come in the form of No. 9 Marian and No. 17 Indiana Wesleyan, but the Trojans are coming off of a first-place finish at the Sagamore Shootout, ending the day 35 strokes above IWU.
Sophomore Shayne Lim is the name to know as the sophomore has been Taylor’s top finisher eight times this season, taking first place outright in four of the events she’s competed in. Fellow sophomore Margarita Garrido and junior Ellie Beavins will also be in hot pursuit of their first wins of the season as they both have four top-five finishes on the year.
IWU will be the host for the Crossroads League Championships as Taylor looks to take home their first conference championship since 2021 on Apr. 29-30.
