Gladd Named NAIA Preseason All-American
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Taylor University's Sam Gladd has been named to the 2026 NAIA Baseball Preseason All-American Team, the NAIA national office announced on Wednesday. The 17-member team was selected by the NAIA Baseball Coaches Association All-America Selection Committee.
Gladd becomes the fourth baseball preseason All-American in Taylor history, and the third Trojan honored on the baseball preseason All-American list in four years.
Gladd, a senior from Columbia City, Indiana, ranks third among TU all-time career leaders in home runs (36), fourth in slugging percentage (.587) and 10th in RBIs (151) entering the 2026 campaign. The first baseman earned first-team All-Crossroads League honors last spring, while slugging .637 with a career-high 15 home runs. He's slashing .300/.437/.587 overall in 161 career appearances at the plate.
Last season, Gladd also picked up a pair of CL Player of the Week nods along with the NAIA National Player of the Week accolade on March 17.
Gladd is one of several key returners for the ninth-ranked Taylor baseball team coming off a record 47-win season last spring, which marked the Trojans' fourth straight appearance in the NAIA national tournament. TU also swept the Crossroads League tournament and regular season titles for the second straight year.
TU opens the 2026 slate at the Coach Calderone Classic, hosted by No. 15 Arizona Christian in Glendale, Arizona on January 22-24.