Taylor baseball is currently sitting at No. 1 in the NAIA Poll. They look to build on this momentum heading into the home stretch of the season.
The Trojans are on a 20 game-win streak. A big part of this success stems from a strong culture between both coaches and players.
Senior Brody Fine, who spent his first two years at Purdue Fort Wayne, is a solid pitcher for the Trojans. He leads the team with a 1.74 ERA and a 8-0 record.
Fine said there are daily conversations between coaches and players, and they never feel forced.
“Freshmen are always put before seniors," Fine said, “You see freshmen hanging out with seniors, that doesn't happen at other places.”
Senior first baseman Jordan Malott has also been a dominant force, leading the Trojans with 60 RBIs. He said there is a special bond with everyone on the team.
“This is my third school, and I haven't had the privilege before to go up and talk to the coach at other schools," Malott said, “It is different here to have a one-on-one conversation with them and be person to person and not player to coach.”
Head coach Kyle Gould is in his twenty-second year of coaching. A Taylor alum, Gould looks to bring the first-ever championship to Upland. Gould’s squad sits at a 38-3 record, and there are no signs of slowing down for the Trojans.
As their only consecutive losses this season, the Trojan split against Huntington fueled momentum.Taylor lost by a margin of one run in two of their four games.
“Huntington did not put a great taste in my mouth,” Malott said. “That’s probably the lowest moment of the season.”
The other loss came against Madonna earlier in the season. The team also used that game to refocus and came back to win the 2nd game of the doubleheader.
Fine said the game was a pivotal moment for the team, prompting them to get back on track and focus on work ethic.
“I think the thing that’s led us to this point is just keeping our heads down and not focusing too much on external factors,” Fine said. “We’ve put in too much work this whole year and during the summer. It doesn't make sense for us to take our foot off the gas.”
Both Malott and Fine will graduate this year, along with a senior class of eight other players.
The last time the Trojans reached the World Series was when the current senior class were freshman. This season, they take one game at a time and carry high aspirations for a title.
“We definitely have the potential to go and win a national championship,” Malott said. “This team is really special.”
The Trojans aim to keep their foot on the pedal with eight games left and the Crossroads League tournament kicking off on April 29th.
The team seeks to earn a high seed and a home game for the NAIA opening round set to kick off on May 11th.
