No. 9 Baseball:
Last year, Taylor’s baseball team had an excellent season culminating with a Crossroads League Championship. During the NAIA World Series Opening Round, the Trojans suffered a heartbreaking loss to Grand View, ending their playoff run. Following the season, junior right-hander Gabel Pentecost was drafted in the sixth round of the MLB draft by the Houston Astros, marking the second highest drafted player in program history.
This year Taylor comes into the season ranked No. 9 in the NAIA. Despite the loss of Pentecost and several other regulars, the Trojans still possess a talented roster. Returning outfielders Luke Sutter and Brayden Manning, junior and senior respectively, were two of Taylor’s best hitters last season. This year, the outfielders look to take a step forward in the absence of Kaleb Kolpien, a career .406 hitter, who graduated last year.
On the mound, the Trojans boast a strong pitching staff headlined by senior starters Wes Hunt and Brody Fine. Also returning is senior reliever Jake Boyer. Boyer was one of the most dominant pitchers on last year's strong staff.
So far this season the Trojans are off to a strong 10-0 start following three victories in the Coach Calderone Classic and sweep of Benedictine Mesa during their yearly trip to Arizona on Jan. 22-31. They continued in their success following a four-game sweep against St. Thomas in Florida. Their next series is against Madonna on Feb. 20.
By Jonas Loy
No. 10 Lacrosse:
The Trojans opened up their season on a three-game road trip that started in Florida against No. 4 Webber. Taylor came out on top after a double OT thriller, 14-13. Taylor dropped their next game to SCAD in Georgia, 12-7 before collecting their second win against Point University in Georgia, 14-10.
The purple and gray improved to 3-1 after defeating Mount Vernon Nazarene University 14-10. It was a close game at halftime with Taylor holding on to a slim 6-5 lead. The Trojans pulled away in the third, outscoring the Cougars 5-1.
Taylor returns 17-27 players from last year and eight of their 10 starters, one of whom is junior attackman Will Saxby. He has led the Trojans in goals so far with 11 in the new season. Another standout returning player is junior attackman Jackson Dale, who is leading the team in assists with 10.
The Trojans return to action on Saturday, Feb. 21 on the road against St. Ambrose. Their next home match will be on Saturday, Feb. 28 versus Missouri Baptist.
By Dalton Keay
Women's Tennis:
A year ago, Taylor had no tennis program. In fact, they have not had a team since the 2019-20 season.
In their first year back, the women’s team, led by Coach Josh Grubbs, has turned in a 3-2 record over the course of the fall semester. They also sent several players to participate in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association tournament.
Back for the spring season, the team will have more opportunities to prove themselves with 14 more scheduled matches.
Senior Sarah Scott, the team’s No.2 in singles and No.1 in doubles, has graduated since the end of the fall semester. Because of this, the entire team is filled with underclassmen. For the spring, sophomores Maddy Fuqua and Ellie Schaufelberger are the only non-freshmen on the roster. The team is rounded out by Jillian Darby, Evy Danemayer, Anna Stone, Gracie Frazier and Delaney Dahl.
In the first half of the year, Darby led the team as the No.1 singles player and the No.2 doubles player. Unfortunately, she suffered an injury and was unable to compete in the ITA tournament. Frazier and Dahl played in their first game on February 13, the first match of the spring season.
While the team is young, the future is bright for the program. In their first year back, the Trojans have posted a record above .500. Given time, they could see results improve even further.
By Jonas Loy
Men's Tennis:
The Trojans’ men’s tennis team will kick off its first-ever spring season in six years. Tennis returned as a collegiate sport this fall. During the fall season, the team posted a 2-3-1 record with wins over Indiana East and Manchester. They fell short over Trine, Anderson and Saint Francis. The team also settled for a tie against Oakland City. Rookie head coach Josh Grubbs, who also manages the girls team , and assistant coach Olivia Reed lead the Trojans.
Coach Grubbs’s roster boasts young talent, featuring nine freshmen and only one upperclassman. The upperclassman is senior Ian Helfert. The team is led by freshman sensation Tyler Lane, who hails from Center Grove High School. Lane plays first singles for the Trojans. He carries a 6-1 match record into this spring and hopes to build on his successful fall season.
The team will open the spring season on Friday, March 6th, at Campbellsville. Heavy conference play awaits the Trojans with key matches against No. 14 Grace College and rival Indiana Wesleyan. They will host Indiana East, Bethel, Goshen, Spring Arbor and Marian. They will travel to Indiana Southeast, Mount Vernon Nazarene, Saint Francis and No. 22 Marian.
The Trojans look to build on their 2025-2026 campaign. As the program continues to grow, the young core will be something to look for in the future. Be sure to pop out to one of their many home matches.
By Elijah Johnston
No. 11 (Women's) & No. 21 (Men's) Track and Field
The Taylor men’s and women’s track and field teams are in full swing of their indoor season and are gearing up for the outdoor season.
The men’s side finished sixth in the Outdoor Crossroads League Championship meet last year and looks to improve during the 2026 season. The team recently ranked 21st in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NAIA ratings.
Senior Josh Forbes and junior Nathan Burnes already booked their spots in the NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championship. Forbes won the pole vault at the IWU Midwest Classic, while Burnes won the 3,000-meter to secure placement.
Sophomore Sprinter Wade Jones has also had some big performances during the indoor season, claiming two victories in the 200-meter dash, which he looks to take as momentum into the outdoor season.
The women’s team finished third in the Outdoor CL Championship last year. In the most recent USTFCCCA ratings, the team ranks No. 11 in the NAIA.
Sophomore Jaynie Halterman, the reigning NAIA indoor 5000-meter champion, as well as the outdoor 5,000 and 10,000-meter champion, looks to defend her titles. She has already punched her ticket to the NAIA Indoor Championship after posting a time of 16:17.32 in the 5000-meter at the IWU Midwest Classic.
Senior Kiana Siefert is another name to keep an eye on. She claimed victory in the 60m hurdles and long jump at the IWU Midwest Classic to qualify herself for the indoor national meet.
The Trojans finished the indoor season on Feb. 20-21 at the CL Indoor Championship, with the NAIA Indoor National Championships taking place March 5-7. Taylor opens the outdoor season at the Indiana Wesleyan Polar Bear Invite on March 20-21.
By Aiden Orth
No. 4 Competitive Cheer:
Following a record-breaking 2025, Taylor cheer looks at 2026 as its sixth competitive season in program history.
The Trojans concluded last season holding 4th place in a field of 10 at the Crossroads League Championship in Mount Vernon, Ohio. They finished with a score of 81.77 points.
Previously named CL Newcomer of the Year, sophomore flyer Kenzie Buck returns for her second season at Taylor. Also presented with a First-Team All-CL award, senior David Musser returns as a notable base. Graduate flyer Emma Barile and junior tumbler Brey Knavel bring Second-Team All-CL recognition to the table.
Senior base and tumbler Isabel Knoll and sophomore back spot and tumbler Owen Gerig return to the mat. They both received honorable mentions last year.
The Trojans welcome nine freshmen: Joslyn Brown, Addie Fauquher, Kahlie Gannon, Natalie Holt, Caleb Motsinger, Kennedy Ringen, Allie Smith, Kristian Stanton and Ashlyn Taylor.
Hannah Kirby enters her sixth season as head coach, a catalyst for the program’s beginnings in 2020-2021. The team has climbed the scoring ladder since inception. Taylor exceeded 90 points for the first time in program history, produced five best scores and secured a No. 6 NAIA ranking within their 2025 season under Kirby.
Taylor will perform on Feb. 6 for round one of the Indiana Wesleyan Wildcat Weekend, beginning at 6:30 p.m. The Wildcats– who hold the title as CL champions for the last five seasons–along with Huntington, Spring Arbor, Marian and Saint Francis, will give the Trojans a taste of their place within the conference. Rounds two and three will follow on Feb. 7.
By Taylor Post
No. 12 Women's Golf:
The Taylor women’s golf team ended its fall campaign earning a No. 12 national ranking.
They competed well in their events, finishing first in the Battle at Stonehenge, and they ended the fall with a third-place finish at the Crossroads League Fall Preview.
Sophomore Eleanor Schuitema has had an impressive start to her second season with the Trojans. She finished in second place and was only two strokes behind first at the Lawrence Tech Invitational. She also took first overall at the Battle at Stonehenge, where two of her teammates took second and third.
Seniors Margarita Garrido and Shayne Lim finished in second and third, respectively, with scores of +9 and +10. Schuitema also tied for first at the Crossroads League Fall Preview, with Lim taking sixth.
The always competitive Crossroads League looks like it will have another tight finish in the Spring to determine the automatic bid to the National Championship.
The Trojans' road to the Natty starts on March 16 at the Lindsey Wilson Spring Invitational in Columbia, Kentucky. The Trojans will then travel to Nashville, Tenn. for the Music City Classic on April, 13. They will follow that up with a short drive up to South Bend, Ind. and compete in the Pilot Spring Classic on April 17.
Their regular season ends with the CL Championships on May 4.
By Dalton Keay
No. 25 Men's Golf:
The No. 25 ranked Taylor Men's Golf team returns from a successful fall season and looks to use the momentum heading into its spring season.
Taylor won all five meets during the fall, shooting below 300 as a team in 8 of the 11 rounds they played.
The Trojans are led by seniors Kyle Kasitz and Will Schuitema.
Kasitz, an All-Crossroads League Team Honorable Mention last year, claimed victory in two of those tournaments, the LTU Collegiate Kickoff and the Egypt Valley Invitational. Schuitema, a member of the All-CL Team last year, took the crown at the Battle of Blackthorn. Both players claimed CL Golfer of the Week during the fall.
Freshman Aaron Fulda shared the victory at the Egypt Valley Invitational with Kasitz in his third-ever collegiate competition.
Kasitz, Schuitema, freshman Davis Formsma, junior Tanner Conklin, and sophomore Porter Dick played in all five fall meets for the Trojans. Kasitz, Schuitema, Formsma and Conklin placed top ten in four of those meets, while Dick placed top 10 in three.
The team started receiving votes in October, before vaulting into the top 25 in the final poll of the fall season after going undefeated.
Taylor is looking to claim its first team CL championship since 2022, and its first NAIA championship since 2023. The Trojans open their spring season on March 1 in Toccoa, Georgia, for the Currahee Club Invite.
By Aiden Orth
Softball:
The Trojan softball team ended the 2025 season with a 30-21 overall record and a 19-17 conference record. They fixed a .332 batting average, a .407 on-base percentage and a .500 slugging percentage. With a new coaching staff and nine freshmen additions, Taylor enters this season with a different approach.
The team graduated three seniors, but the roster added Zoe Shihemi, Lizzy Sinders, Malina Lape, Kaylyn Applegate, Ava Everman, Paige Parker, Addy Umlauf, Ellie Ortiz and Addison Messer as first-years.
Senior shortstop Livie Lehmann, senior third baseman Madisyn Shortridge and senior pitcher and first baseman Kaylee Larkin return to give the Trojans a solid foundation. Lehmann was named NAIA Second-Team All-American and CSC Second-Team Academic All-American last year. She also finished the season with 13 home runs and 20 doubles, with 65 RBIs and a slugging percentage of .761, leading the Trojans in each.
Shortridge was awarded Second-Team All-Crossroads League, while Larkin was Honorable Mention All-CL.
Taylor named Grace Glidewell head coach in June 2025. Her husband, Matt Glidewell, was also hired as assistant coach and strength coordinator for the team. The couple brings notable experience into their first season at Taylor.
Grace is a former NCAA Division-I athlete at North Carolina State and UNC Charlotte. She was assistant coach at Carolina University in 2024-2025. Matt was the director of sports performance at Carolina for six years.
Taylor will commence the season by traveling to Johnson University in Knoxville, Tenn. on Feb. 13. Their first conference game will be held at Spring Arbor on Mar. 10. Last year, the Trojans fell 8-1 to the Cougars during their first play-in game in the CL Tournament.
By Taylor Post
