Taylor Baseball Collects School-Record Five CSC Academic All-America Honorees
GREENWOOD, Ind. – The Taylor University baseball program placed five student-athletes on the 2026 Academic All-America® baseball teams announced Tuesday by College Sports Communicators (CSC), the most CSC Academic All-America selections in any sport in school history. The five honorees led the NAIA and topped every NCAA division as well.
First-team recognition went to Sam Gladd, Ben Kennedy and Fletcher Roemmich, while Jake Boyer and Nathan Frady earned second-team honors. The group anchored a Trojan squad that finished as the 2026 NAIA national runner-up with a program-record 56 wins.
The five selections break the previous high of four in a single sport, a total TU athletics had reached four times: women's track and field/cross country in 2025, men's at-large in 2023, football in 2015 and women's track and field/cross country in 2012.
The latest CSC Academic All-America recognition continues a sustained run of classroom success across the department. TU athletics has produced double-digit CSC Academic All-America selections in four of the past five years. Baseball has now accrued 25 total Academic All-Americans in team history and notched at least one in five straight seasons, with multiple selections in four of them.
Boyer, a senior finance major, became the fifth player in TU baseball program history to earn multiple CSC Academic All-America honors after earning a second-team nod last season. He picked up another CSC All-America honor with a cumulative GPA of 3.87 in his final campaign. The right-hander was a key reliever for the No. 1-ranked Trojans this season, earning Crossroads League Pitcher of the Week twice. Boyer led the team in saves (5) and tied for the team lead in wins (8-2) and appearances (22). The Fort Wayne native recorded 55 strikeouts and just six walks in 47.1 innings.
Gladd, a senior exercise science major, earned his first career CSC Academic All-America recognition with a cumulative GPA of 3.88. After being tabbed as an NAIA Preseason All-American selection, the designated hitter went on to earn First-Team All-Crossroads League honors and a spot on the NAIA World Series All-Tournament Team. Gladd smacked 10 home runs and 10 doubles with a .315 batting average and 54 RBIs. The Columbia City native finished his career ranked second all-time in TU baseball history for most home runs (46).
Kennedy, a senior majoring in human physiology and preventative medicine, received his first CSC Academic All-America honor with a cumulative GPA of 3.68. The shortstop posted a career season, earning Second-Team All-Crossroads League recognition and was twice named the CL Player of the Week. Kennedy tallied 12 home runs, with four of those during a six-game stretch in postseason play. The Evansville native tied for the team-lead in doubles (19) and triples (3), while hitting .366 overall with 64 RBIs.
Roemmich, a senior also majoring in human physiology and preventative medicine, garnered his first career CSC Academic All-America award with a cumulative GPA of 3.95. Hitting leadoff for arguably the nation's best offense, Roemmich earned First-Team All-Crossroads League honors and posted career numbers while hitting .347 with 11 home runs, 13 doubles and 62 RBIs. The Elmhurst, Illinois native broke the TU single-season record for most runs scored (85). At one point, Roemmich had reached base safely in 61 consecutive games dating back to the 2025 season.
Frady, a junior politics and law major, earned his first CSC Academic All-America recognition with a cumulative GPA of 3.95. The right-hander was selected First-Team All-Crossroads League and picked up one CL Pitcher of the Week award as the primary reliever on the top-ranked Trojans. The Bloomfield native made four appearances in six games at the NAIA World Series. Frady finished the year 6-1 with a pair of saves, totaling 58.2 innings of work, 52 strikeouts and 3.53 earned-run average.
The 2025-26 Academic All-America® Baseball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
Mississippi State's Noah Sullivan, Dagen Brewer from Pittsburg State University, The University of Olivet's Bryan Carney, and Alex Johnson of Concordia University, Nebraska were recognized as the Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year award winner for their respective divisions.
The Trojans have piled up several awards and honors for the 2025-2026 year. TU has garnered 64 Crossroads League, WHAC and MSFA Player-of-the-Week awards, six NAIA National Athlete-of-the-Week honors, 27 NAIA All-American honors, 127 all-league awards, two individual NAIA National Championships, seven individual Crossroads League Championships, two league players of the year, one CL Freshman of the Year, three CL Newcomers of the Year, one National Athlete of the Year, 180 NAIA Scholar-Athlete awards, 88 Academic All-League nods, 49 CSC Academic All-District selections and 10 CSC Academic All-Americans.
Taylor Baseball Academic All-Americans
2026 – Ben Kennedy (First-Team)
2026 – Sam Gladd (First-Team)
2026 – Fletcher Roemmich (First-Team)
2026 – Jake Boyer (Second-Team)
2026 – Nathan Frady (Second-Team)
2025 – Jake Boyer (Second-Team)
2025 – Mason David (First-Team)
2025 – Kaleb Kolpien (First-Team)
2024 – Mason David (First-Team)
2023 – Kaleb Kolpien (Second-Team)
2023 – Kade Vander Molen (Second-Team)
2022 – Conner Crawford (Second-Team)
2022 – Noah Huseman (Second-Team)
2020 – Andrew Kennedy (First-Team)
2018 – Jared Adkins (First-Team)
2018 – Matt Patton (First-Team)
2018 – Tanner Watson (First-Team)
2017 – Tanner Watson (Second-Team)
2015 – Josh DeGraaf (First-Team)
2015 – Jake West (Second-Team)
2014 – Josh DeGraaf (First-Team)
2013 – Josh DeGraaf (Second-Team)
2013 – Jordan Coffey (Third-Team)
2012 – Rhett Goodmiller (Second-Team)
2012 – Ian Nielsen (Second-Team)