Could Gaston College have two alumni selected in upcoming MLB Draft?

Gaston College has long enjoyed success on the baseball diamond.

The school won four straight North Carolina Community College conference titles from 1969 to 1972 before discontinuing athletics then has won back-to-back league titles since resuming athletics in 2021.

This July when the major league baseball draft is held, the Rhinos' baseball program appears headed for more history as at least two alumni are considered potential selections by their collegiate coach.

Campbell University head coach Justin Haire, who spoke at Gaston College's First Pitch fundraiser last Saturday at Mount Holly's Low Meadows Estate, thinks pitcher Derek Vartanian and infielder Chandler Riley could hear their names called during the upcoming 20-round event.

"Derek Vartanian this fall was just tremendous and has continued to get better," Haire said of the 6-foot-4, 200-pound right-handed pitcher. "He came in during the summer and worked hard and is potentially a top five round draft pick. I'm looking forward to him starting on Friday nights for us."

Only one player, pitcher Alan Lindsay, has ever been drafted by the a major league team in Gaston College's baseball history. Lindsay, a 1969 Cherryville High graduate who is Gsaton College's single-season (100) and career (156) strikeout leader, was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the ninth round of the 1970 major league draft.

Vartanian, 2021 Monroe Sun Valley High graduate, transferred to Gaston College after playing the 2022 season for Guilford Tech where he went 2-6 with a 7.42 ERA with 41 strikeouts and 21 welks in 43 2/3 innings.

For the Rhinos, Vartanian was an All-Region 10 pitcher on the school's National Junior College Athletic Association World Series team with a 9-1 record with two saves, 3.08 ERA and 76 strikeouts and nine walks in 76 innings.

"We didn't have any idea who Derek Vartanian was coming out of high school or when he was at Guilford Tech," said Haire, who has guided Campbell to five straight NCAA tournament appearances and Big South Conference regular season titles and four Big South tournament titles as head coach. "When he came to Gaston and started pitching quite a bit he was a little under the radar and, really, our type of guy.
"Last year, he had some insane strikeout to walk ratio. So he's a really good strike-thrower and the velocity has continued to tick up. He's up to 97-98 mph. He's super athletic and has put on some good weight and strength and developed some secondary pitches.
"He could be even higher than a fifth-round pick. He could develop into a first day type of guy."

Riley, a 2020 Concord Cox Mill graduate, started his career at UNC Charlotte before the 6-foot, 190-pounder joined Gaston College's startup program in the fall of 2021 and became one of the school's first collegiate signees with Campbell in the fall of 2021.

For the Rhinos, Riley was an All-Region 10 selection after hitting .382 with a team-high 21 doubles in addition to seven home runs and 43 RBIs.

Last year at Campbell, he hit .309 with four home runs and 25 RBIs.

"He's just going to have to put it all together," Haire said of Riley's draft prospects. "In mid-April, I think he was hitting .125 and was a little bit out of the lineup. But I think he hit like .410 the rest of the year and was really, really good for us."

Haire had high praise for coach Shohn Doty's program for developing players both on and off the field.

"Chandler is like all the guys we've gotten from here," Haire said. "Not only is he a great player but he's a great human being. They do things the right way, work hard and take care of their business."

Last fall, Haire signed two more Gaston College players in pitcher Mason Smith and infielder-outfielder Ben Karpowicz.

"I'm looking forward to those two guys coming over," Haire said of Illinois State transfer Karpowicz and East Carolina transfer Smith. "Those two guys coming from Division I schools to here gives them a chance to have a great experience and win a bunch. We feel really good about those guys."