Play ball! The sounds of baseball are officially in the air, as the Trojans’ season is here. Taylor baseball returned from their Arizona tour with a 4-3 record.
Taylor strung together some dominating wins in the southwest including an 11-1 victory against Benedictine Mesa and a 20-3 win against Embry-Riddle. However, they came up short to #RV Ottawa University Arizona twice, losing 9-0 and 16-3, in a three-game series.
Head coach Kyle Gould, in his 21st year managing Taylor baseball, was impressed with his guys for diligently conditioning themselves while all Taylor students were on Christmas break.
“The games were kind of all over the map. Close games, big wins, couple big losses. So kind of saw a lot of everything,” Gould said.
The team will travel to Miami Gardens, Florida for a four-game series against #RV St. Thomas before their home opener against Madonna on Feb. 21. Gould said the Trojans like to test themselves as much as they can before conference games start. He also said St. Thomas is a World Series contender, so he sees playing them as an opportunity to see how they stack up against World Series-level competition
“We have a really good group of guys. They really like each other. They care about the game a ton. They care about all the right things. I think it’s just a matter of every team has to find kind of their own identity and their own personality,” Gould said.
One player who is off to a hot start is senior outfielder Kaleb Kolpien, who currently has a .345 batting average and 4 RBI in the first seven games.
“We’ve got a ton of returning guys and a pretty veteran lineup, and both pitchers and hitter wise, I’ve played with a lot of these guys for a while, and I just think having that veteran presence and a lot of experience hopefully can take us to the next level and continue winning conference championships and make a run in the regional again,” Kolpien said.
In addition to his confidence in the lineup, Kolpien said he and some other upperclassmen believe in showing the underclassmen how to play by demonstrating it on the field themselves, instead of being harsh with their words.
Kolpien also talked about what sets Taylor apart from their competition. He said the team’s growth they experience at Taylor, physically and spiritually, helps them have success on the field and separates them from the other teams.
After the 2024 season, junior pitcher Brody Fine transferred from Purdue Fort Wayne to Taylor. Fine is off and running, starting in two games, collecting a 2.16 ERA and 12 strikeouts in his first games with TU.
Fine said this year’s roster has more experience, and they are excited about the postseason, but the regular season is still important.Fine also credited his teammate, junior starting pitcher Gabel Pentecost.
“It’s pretty cool seeing a guy that can throw 95 in an NAIA school, which doesn’t happen all the time,” Fine said
Fine also talked about the difference in culture between PFW and Taylor.
He said he has enjoyed the community that Taylor has, where everyone, even if they are an athlete, is the same thing, a student.
The Trojans look to make it another great season, led by their veteran coach and players. Their next series will be three games at home against Madonna University (3-1) starting on Friday, Feb. 21 at noon.
