Gaston College celebrates "Sophomore Day" with large class that includes local product with strong UNC Charlotte ties
When J.J. DeVos came to Gaston College, he knew an awful lot about Rhinos head coach Shohn Doty.
Doty had been a three-year assistant coach for the Charlotte 49ers and worked in the school's athletic department with DeVos' mother Aimee and father Dan.
Aimee, a four-year softball letterwinner at Drake University, was a 25-year Charlotte softball head coach. And Dan, the current director of the Athletic Annual Fund for 49ers Athletic Department, has worked at the school since 1993 after he was a four-year baseball letterwinner for the University of Charleston, W.Va.
A standout pitcher at Hickory Ridge High School, J.J. DeVos spent the 2022-23 school year at Gaston College as a redshirt pitcher while the Rhinos' went 50-13 overall and made a historic run to the National Junior College Athletic Association World Series in Grand Junction, Col.
"Last year when I redshirted was really a time when I could develop and get everything out of it," J.J. DeVos said. "I was able to get my long toss and bullpen routines and work to get better."
This season, J.J. DeVos emerged as one of the top relievers for Gaston College's No. 2-ranked team. His 17 appearances are tied for second on the staff, his 22 1/3 innings of work are eighth of the staff and he has a 5-0 record with a 2.42 ERA highlighted by 2 1/3 scoreless innings for the victory in Monday's 5-4 series-clinching victory over No. 3 Florence-Darlington Tech.
His production was enough to earn a scholarship offer he accepted from perennial NCAA Division II power Mount Olive College.
"J.J. just gives us solid innings and attacks the strike zone," Doty said.
On Thursday when the Rhinos (47-6 record) host Lincolnton's Combine Academy at 5 p.m., J.J. DeVos will be one of 20 players who will be honored, among them 11 other players who have currently made four-year college commitments - Landon Carr (Campbell), Seth Christmas (Liberty), Calvert Clark (Appalachian State), Caleb Estes (Charlotte), Ben Karpowicz (Campbell), Trevor Lucas (UNC Wilmington), Wagner Morrissette (Iowa), Freddie Oliver (North Carolina A&T), Mason Smith (Campbell), Evan Vandenbosch (Georgia Southern) and Isaac Williams (Elon).
Others to be honored on Thursday - and many of them could also sign with four-year schools - are Tyler Burke, Caleb Gallant, Gabe Hernandez, Andrew Muraco, Trent Murchison, Sean Sullivan, Shane Thorson and Nathan Williams.
DeVos came in with some advance billing if for no other reason than his older brother Nolan was a two-time All-Atlantic 10 pitcher at Davidson College who was a fifth-round pick of the Houston Astros who is currently on the injured list for the Class A Asheville Tourists.
"I've learned everything from him," J.J. DeVos said. "He's my biggest mentor and I really look up to him. I knew from an early age I wanted to follow through his footsteps."
Earlier this season, Nolan DeVos came to a handful of Gaston College games before reporting to Astros' spring training in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Last summer, when Nolan pitched for the Astros' farm teams in the Class A Carolina League in Fayetteville and the Class A South Atlantic League Fayetteville, J.J. DeVos got to see his brother pitch as a professional.
"It was pretty awesome," J.J. DeVos said. "I saw how he attacked the game and attacked every batter and I try to replicate that in my game."