Gaston College No. 14 in preseason NJCAA poll

After drawing impressive late season rankings in their first two years, the Gaston College baseball program will start the 2024 baseball season ranked No. 14 in the preseason National Junior College Athletic Association Division I poll.

Coach Shohn Doty's Rhinos are coming off a 50-13 season that ended with an appearance in the NJCAA World Series in Grand Junction, Col.

Defending national champion College of Central Florida is the No. 1 ranked team and upcoming opponents Walters State (No. 5) and Florence-Darlington Tech (No. 15) also are in the rankings.

Gaston College was ranked as high as 10th in 2023 in the final poll of May 15. In the Rhinos' inaugural season of 2022 when the team played as a Division II school, Gaston College was ranked as high as No. 3 and in the top 10 for eight weeks.

The Rhinos have nine returning players including top hitters Andrew Muraco, Seth Christmas and Freddie Oliver and top pitchers Landon Carr and Sawyer Sutton from last year's team.

Gaston College opens the 2024 season this weekend with a 1 p.m. Saturday doubleheader against Guilford Tech and 1 p.m. Sunday game against Guilford Tech at Gastonia's Sims Legion Park.