Taylor Baseball Pitcher Drafted by Houston Astros

Baseball pitcher and senior Exercise Science major Gabel Pentecost has filled his trophy cabinet across his three seasons as a Trojan: two-time Crossroads League Pitcher of the Year, NAIA All-American, Single-Season Strikeout Record. When the Houston Astros selected Pentecost during the sixth round of the 2025 MLB Draft, it was no surprise to the Taylor Baseball fan base. Pentecost is a force to be reckoned with on the mound. 

But what about when the livestream ended and the lights clicked off over Winterholter Field? Many media outlets have covered Pentecost’s accomplishments on the field, but what is the life of a future professional baseball player like off the field?   

Spoiler alert: it’s not what you would expect. 

“I’m not kidding you: pretty much every day before practice—if we didn’t have class before practice—we would all be in the room just playing board games together, playing Fortnite, just talking about life,” Pentecost said. 

Yes, you read that right. One of the most accomplished and talented athletes in Taylor’s history just mentioned (1) class before practice, (2) playing board games, and (3) having real conversations with his friends. “My teammates, my roommates, that’s what I’ll talk about when I think about Taylor,” Pentecost shared. “These relationships that we’ve built together are built on Christ.”  

Though Pentecost and his teammates were dominating their competition on the field (winning three-straight conference championships and advancing to the NAIA World Series once during his career), this on-field success did not come at the detriment of academic excellence, spiritual development, or vibrant residence life which are both so vital to the Taylor experience. 

For Pentecost, the off-the-field community was crucial to his on-the-field success. He said, “A lot of people from the outside, they see the sixth-round pick, but if I didn’t have the time after games playing tennis with my wife, I don’t know if I would’ve wanted to get drafted.” 

Pentecost was married prior to his sophomore season. On any given weekend, you might spend the afternoon watching Pentecost throw a seven-inning, 12-strikeout gem against a conference rival. Then, just a few hours later, you could pass Pentecost and his wife playing a round of tennis.    

The reality Pentecost has found is that at many other athletic programs, the relationships between athletes and their programs are primarily about the opportunity to land a professional contract. So, athletes jump from one school to the next year-after-year. With such a revolving door in the locker room each year, developing lifelong friendships becomes increasingly difficult. 

However, Pentecost had a very different experience from his now teammates. “From what people know about Taylor, it’s built by community,” he shared. 

At Pentecost’s wedding, standing next to him were his three brothers and three of his teammates. A few years later when it was his roommate's turn to stand at the altar, Pentecost stood next to him. 

This is the norm for athletes at Taylor—pursuing excellence on the field with every ounce of talent God has given, but not at the expense of the community beyond the competition.  

In the coming months, Pentecost will continue to train at the Astros’ facilities in West Palm Beach as he prepares for his first Spring Training. He plans to return to Taylor in the late fall and winter to work out with his former teammates and coaches—not because of Taylor’s facilities (though they are first-class) or the baseball coaching staff (though they are one of the most decorated and celebrated staffs in the NAIA). No, Pentecost is “itching to get back to school to train because all my friends are there.” 

That’s the Taylor difference.