‘I had never heard of Pullman, but now I call it home’: Washington State fifth-year pitcher Grant Taylor has transformed into one of Pac-12’s best

PULLMAN – Washington State ace Grant Taylor has distinguished himself as one of the Pac-12’s top pitchers.

The senior right-hander is a record-setter for the Cougars, and one of the program’s best starters in recent memory.

In 2020, when he committed to the school, Taylor couldn’t have envisioned that he’d have such an impact at WSU.

“I probably would have started laughing if I went back and told my freshman self about all the stuff that’s happened,” said Taylor, who came to Pullman as a preferred walk-on. “I wouldn’t have believed it.”

Taylor worked his way into a starting role and earned a scholarship in 2021, then became a Cougars standout. Now a fifth-year Cougar and nearing the end of his collegiate career, Taylor is better than ever – and only seems to be improving.

Taylor is set to make his penultimate regular-season start for the Cougars (20-27, 8-16 Pac-12) at 6 p.m. Friday when WSU opens its final home series of the year against USC (22-26, 12-11).

It’s been an up-and-down season for the Cougars, but Taylor has been a steady starter who gives WSU a chance to win every Friday. And he’s lately been at his best.

The 6-foot-5, 230-pounder from Murrieta, California, has posted six straight quality outings. He has pitched six or more innings in each of those games, and has struck out 55 batters while allowing 24 hits and 13 runs during the stretch.

Taylor’s stellar streak began March 28, a historic day for WSU’s program. He set a single-game program record with 17 strikeouts – breaking John Olerud’s record of 16 – during a one-hit, complete-game shutout of rival Washington in Seattle.

“It was such a cool moment,” said Taylor, who earned NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week honors for his performance. “My head was so clear. I’ll definitely look back on that game and be really proud of it. … Obviously, there’s a lot of stuff going on with us and U-Dub. But I tried to not be emotional about it. I tried to stay composed. Looking back on it, it was pretty sweet to do it against our in-state rival.”

Although not as eye-catching, Taylor’s past two games have been similarly impressive. He struck out a combined 20 batters while allowing eight hits during losses to Fresno State and Oregon State.

“My training has been great … and my communication with (first-year coach Nathan Choate) has been really good,” Taylor said. “With my maturity on the mound and knowledge of the game, I understand what I need to keep working on and I don’t take anything too personally when (Choate) gets on me. I don’t get too emotional. I’ve stayed the course and keep it super simple. … I get the pitch call, get my grip and throw it with 100% conviction and intent. You can only control so much when you’re on the mound.”

On the season, Taylor sports a 4-3 record and a 3.26 ERA through 73⅓ innings. Employing a four-pitch mix – an accurate fastball, paired with a curveball, slider and change-up – he has struck out 85 batters while surrendering 24 walks and 57 hits. Opposing batters are hitting .218 against him.

Taylor ranks second in the Pac-12 in strikeouts, sixth in ERA, first in innings pitched and third in WHIP (1.10). He sits sixth in WSU program history with 238 career strikeouts.

“He’s one of the best in the Pac-12 this year,” Choate said. “Him staying here put a stamp on his career, and he’s shown that he’s a really good pitcher. He just didn’t have the year he wanted last year. But shoot, he’s one of the best pitchers in the conference and definitely deserves a chance to play professional baseball.”

Taylor said he may have put too much pressure on himself last year, thinking about his future in baseball and hoping to impress scouts. But he’s become a more grounded player this season.

“I just wanted to be really consistent this year and, especially with the experience I have, I wanted to focus on being a good leader,” Taylor said. “I simplified a lot of my process.

“I told myself that I don’t need to prove myself to anyone. I just need to play my game and the rest will take care of itself. If it happens, it happens. I’m going to enjoy it because nothing is guaranteed. … I owe it to myself to just enjoy this last year together.”

Taylor originally committed to New Mexico State and coach Brian Green in summer 2019. But Green accepted the head coaching job at WSU that June, and Taylor tagged along to Pullman.

“I’d never heard of Pullman, but now I call it home,” he said.

Taylor saw limited action during WSU’s coronavirus-shortened 2020 season, then showed flashes of promise in 2021, going 3-0 with a 3.04 ERA. He went 4-5 with a 4.67 ERA and 71 strikeouts and 28 walks in 2022, but took a step back in 2023, going 3-4 with a 6.43 ERA. Green left WSU last year and Choate, a pitching specialist, took over after a four-year stint at Loyola Marymount.

WSU’s ace has shown “tremendous growth and leadership” in his short time under Choate, the coach said.

“He’s really grown as a pitcher,” Choate said. “His maturity and ability to stay with the plan even when things aren’t going his way, that’s his biggest strength. And his leadership, specifically with the pitchers – he’s been a voice of reason for those guys.”

Taylor’s decision to stick around at WSU set a positive example for younger players in this era defined by the transfer portal. His willingness to learn eased the transition for the new coaching staff.

Taylor said he’s become a “new player” from 2023 to now. Much of that can be attributed to his new coach’s tutelage. Taylor clicked quickly with Choate, who was vital in fine-tuning the pitcher’s arsenal – his change-up, most notably.

“He just brought trust and clarity,” Taylor said of Choate. “As a young man, you don’t want to get false hope. Choate doesn’t care how old you are. He holds you accountable. … That’s a big factor in why we stayed together this year.”

Taylor is glad that he stuck with the process and developed in Pullman over the years. It made him a Pac-12 standout and a pro prospect.

“There were a lot of benefits to staying here,” said Taylor, who earned a degree in construction management last weekend. “I wouldn’t change any aspect of my decision.

“It’s been an absolute journey. I had no idea what I was getting into here, but I knew I had to take it head on and enjoy the process. And I’ve enjoyed it all the way. … You take a step back and think of everything you’ve done. The time has flown by. My freshman self would be so proud of me now.”