Gabel Pentecost was told he wasn’t good enough to pitch at the NAIA level. Now, he is the 2024 Crossroads League Pitcher of the Year and prepares for the NAIA World Series.
Taylor University head coach Kyle Gould watched Pentecost’s final game as a high school pitcher with the Fremont Eagles, and after a two-week recruiting process, he was a Trojan.
Gould said the recruiting class was already complete when he watched Pentecost pitch. However, after watching him throw two pitches, Gould was sold and called his assistant pitching coach.
He recognized that Pentecost didn’t throw super hard yet, but they knew he could get stronger.
“We’re signing this kid today,” Gould told his assistant coach.
Pentecost, in his sophomore and now junior year at Taylor, has shown remarkable dominance. The flamethrower’s fastball has topped out at 96 miles per hour. He also has a wicked slider, curveball and changeup to complement his heater.
His record this season sits at 12-1 with a 2.75 ERA. He has also tallied an astonishing 108 strikeouts.
The pressure of being the ace is something Pentecost has felt every game, as he has drawn much attention from MLB scouts. 27 of the 30 Major League Baseball teams have traveled to Upland to watch the Fremont phenom do what he does best.
Pentecost said a couple of MLB teams have invited him to their pre-draft workouts in June, and more communication with pro scouts will happen after the Trojans’ season is over.
With all the spectators’ eyes and scouts’ radar guns focused on him, Pentecost said he doesn’t think about much while he’s on the mound. He said scouts attending his games is a form of accountability.
So, what does it take to have two breakout seasons?
“As many reps as you can get in, the good reps, I should say, the more you’ll improve,” Pentecost said.
He also said he hasn’t changed his routine since freshman year. It’s been all about repetition. Teammate and fellow junior pitcher Jake Boyer said he thinks his improvement is a result of Pentecost’s work in the weight room.
“I think that’s made his velo (velocity) jump up a lot, and along with it, it’s made all his other pitches better,” Boyer said.
In the three years the two pitchers have shared the bullpen, Boyer has been able to see Pentecost become a better man from a spiritual standpoint as well. He said Pentecost is always surrounded by peace and understands that God is ultimately in control.
It’s a peace that only God can give you, Boyer added.
Pentecost did not initially commit to Taylor. He was committed to pitching for a school in Fort Wayne, Ind., but a deeper dive into Taylor led him to make the switch without ever taking a Taylor campus visit.
“One of the things that really stuck out to me when he (Gould) talked to me the first time was that like, I’m not just like another number coming to Taylor, not just another body,” Pentecost said.
The Trojans’ head coach also made note of Pentecost’s classroom work ethic. He was complimentary of his pitcher’s ability to balance family life, scouting by the MLB and keep up with his exercise science major classes.
Gould would love for his ace to stay for his senior year, but with a potential trip to the big leagues in the cards, he has left the decision in Pentecost’s hands. He is confident that his pitcher will make the right decision.
“He’s just a great worker,” Gould said. “He’s a very intentional worker. He’s that way in the classroom too. He’s a very intentional kid.”
