For the better part of 11 years, Ryan and Luke Taylor have played on the same baseball teams.

Sure, the brothers have spent time apart on the diamond.

Ryan, the older brother, graduated from Forest Lake Christian School a year earlier than Luke and played without him last season at Sierra College. Luke, meanwhile, spent his senior season at Forest Lake without Ryan and was the sole representative of the Taylor clan on last year’s American Legion Post 84 ballclub.

Yet somehow, baseball always seems to bring the brothers back together. The Taylors were teammates yet again this season at Bethany University, a small Christian school in Scotts Valley (near Santa Cruz).

“It’s pretty neat that we got the opportunity to play together,” Luke said. “When we got advanced scholarship offers from the same school, we thought, ‘All right.’”

“Ever since we were young, we dreamed of playing college baseball together,” Ryan said. “We weren’t expecting it, but it was always the dream. It’s nice that it worked out that way.”

Growing up, the two frequently played side-by-side in the middle infield – Ryan at shortstop, Luke at second base. Luke still plays primarily at second base, but Ryan has moved around a bit. After starting out as a relief pitcher, Ryan became Bethany’s starting center fielder when the Bruins’ original starter at that position went down with an injury.

“Chemistry-wise, when he’s at short and I’m at second it’s more natural, but it’s not like it’s awkward with someone else,” Luke said.

Bethany coach Thad Bosley said Ryan’s arm strength and overall athleticism led him to believe that Ryan might make a decent outfielder. So far, Bosley’s been proven right.

“Ryan’s been quite impressive in center field,” the coach said. “I didn’t think he could play it as well as he’s played it at the college level.”

“I enjoy it a lot more,” Ryan said of the transition to the outfield. “There’s more open space to have fun with, to run to the track or the wall or to make diving plays.”

Moving to the outfield also made Ryan more valuable to Bethany by getting his bat into the Bruins’ lineup. Ryan hit just .250, but counted two home runs among his six hits and tied for second on the team in on-base percentage at .419. He also scored six runs and drove in four.

“He surprised me a little bit (with his power),” Bosley said. “I thought he’d be more of a line-drive hitter. He’s not a big kid – 5-(foot)-10 or 5-11 – but he was able to get a couple of balls and hit them like a big man.”

Luke was used most often as a pinch-hitter or pinch-runner this season. Though he hit just .132, Luke tied for Bethany’s team lead in walks with seven, scored four runs and was 3-for-5 on stolen-base attempts.

The Taylor brothers won’t be at Bethany much longer. The school has announced that its baseball program will be discontinued after next season due to budget constraints. Bethany is an NAIA school, but some NCAA Division I schools have shown interest in recruiting the brothers, meaning they could soon both be playing at college baseball’s highest level.

“It’s what we’ve been striving for, what we’ve been practicing for our whole lives,” Luke said. “To play with the best of the best would be pretty exciting.”

Ryan said he and Luke would love to follow their coach, Bosley, to any program that brings him on board, so the brothers are not jumping at recruiting offers just yet.

“We’re keeping all doors open,” Ryan said.

The Taylors would love to be a package deal for whichever schools come calling.

“It’s been a fun experience,” Luke said. “With all the changes in atmosphere and changes in (level of) play, having Ryan there has been a good experience. I’ve enjoyed it a lot.”