TU Baseball Hauls in Maximum Five CSC Academic All-District Honors
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UPLAND, Ind. – Five student-athletes in the Taylor baseball program were named to the 2024 CSC Academic All-District Baseball Team, announced Tuesday.
Jake Boyer, Jacob Caruso, Mason David, Sam Gladd and Jack Ross all earned the honor, as TU collected the maximum five recipients allowed per baseball team.
Boyer, a sophomore reliever, had a breakout season on the mound for the Trojans. The Fort Wayne, Ind., native tossed 37.1 innings in 17 appearances throughout the year, as he became a go-to option in high-leverage situations for head coach Kyle Gould throughout the latter half of the season. Boyer finished his 2024 campaign with two wins, four saves and 40 strikeouts while pitching to a WHIP of 0.99. In the classroom, Boyer has maintained a 3.81 GPA while studying finance.
Caruso, a graduate-transfer from Thomas More with a 3.93 GPA in his graduate studies at TU, started 51 games behind the plate for TU. The backstop played a pivotal role in erasing opposing runners from the basepaths with his 25 runners caught stealing. That figure ranked second among all catchers in the Crossroads League, and his caught-stealing percentage of .275 also came in at second among those who threw out at least nine base stealers. The CSC Academic All-District honor is the second Caruso has earned in his career.
David, known for his on-field accolades as the 2024 Crossroads League Player of the Year and Gold Glove recipient at third base, shines in the classroom, too, with an upperclassmen, team-best 3.98 GPA as a biology major. A product of Bloomington, Ind., David played at an elite level all season long with a .364 batting average, .617 slugging percentage, 21 doubles and 32 extra-base hits that led all Trojans in those categories. A starter in all 58 games, the junior also clobbered 10 home runs, stole nine bases and helped turn nine double plays from the hot corner.
Gladd, who started 56 games as Taylor’s primary first baseman, put together an outstanding season at the plate that helped him earn a spot on the All-Crossroads League Second-Team. Gladd came up huge down the stretch for the Trojans in the CL Tournament, helping put a bow on a season in which he hit a team-high 11 home runs, drove in 58 runs and put up an on-base-plus-slugging percentage of 1.018. Gladd has also excelled as an exercise science major with a 3.83 cumulative GPA.
Ross made it back-to-back appearances on the CSC Academic All-District team as a fifth-year senior for the Trojans. The reliever appeared in a team-high 23 games on the mound, picking up three wins and three saves while racking up 33 strikeouts. In the classroom, Ross finished his degree in engineering with a 3.53 cumulative GPA. On the field, he capped his career as one of TU’s most dominant relievers as a 2023 NAIA All-American and with 14 career saves, tied for second most in program history.
The CSC Academic All-District distinction is designed to recognize student-athletes for outstanding achievements, both in the classroom and on the diamond. To receive the honor, an athlete must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.50 or higher on a 4.0 scale, must have achieved sophomore status academically and must have played in 90 percent of his team’s games, made 66 percent of starts or, for pitchers, thrown 25-plus innings or made 17 appearances.
Student-athletes are nominated for the award by their institution’s Sports Information Department. A select number of CSC Academic All-District honorees advance to the Academic All-America ballot for sports information directors to vote on, with David and Gladd advancing for TU. The CSC Academic All-Americans will be announced on Tuesday, July 2.