No. 2 Gaston College closes out regular season with win on "Sophomore Day"

Shortly after Gaston College honored 20 players on "Sophomore Day," the Rhinos took a workmanlike 5-1 victory over Lincolnton's Combine Academy on Thursday at Gastonia's Sims Legion Park.

The result ended No. 2-ranked Gaston College's regular season with a 49-6 overall record and closed their home schedule at Sims Legion Park with a 34-3 record.

"I'm excited about sending these guys out with a win to get to 49 and just continuing to build on what we've done in the first two years," Gaston College coach Shohn Doty said.

The players honored were Tyler Burke, Landon Carr, Seth Christmas, Calvert Clark, J.J. DeVos, Caleb Estes, Caleb Gallant, Gabe Hernandez, Ben Karpowicz, Trevor Lucas, Wagner Morrissette, Andrew Muraco, Trent Murchison, Freddie Oliver, Mason Smith, Sean Sullivan, Shane Thorson, Evan Vandenbosch, Isaac Williams and Nathan Williams.

"That was the most important part of the day," Doty said of a ceremony in which the school presented each player with a bat and families joined the players on the field. "They've done a lot for our program. Those 98 wins in two years, a Region 10 championship, a District championship, a trip to the World Series, 49-6 this season and the first No. 1 ranking in school history says a lot about this class."

The Rhinos were ranked No. 1 in the National Junior College Athletic Association in the March 25 and April 1 polls, were ranked No. 1 earlier this season by Dream Big Athletics and are currently No. 1 in the 2-Year Baseball poll.

Gaston College used five pitchers - all sophomore honorees - in the victory. Smith started and went two innings and he was followed by Thorson (2 innings), Gallant (1 inning), DeVos (1 inning) and Vandenbosch (1 inning).

Christmas hit a first inning home run, then Lucas had a two-run double, Karpowicz and RBI grounder and Lucas scored on the back end of a double-steal in a four-run third inning.

"We did enough offensively and we were really good from a defensive and pitching standpoint all day," Doty said. "We came out of it with a win, our 49th and honored our Sophomores. So it was a great day for our program.
"At the of the day, it's been a historic season and now it's on to Phase Two."

Gaston College is off until May 3 when it'll begin Region 10 tournament play at Lexington, S.C., County Stadium. The Rhinos will pursuit that tournament's lone berth into the East District tournament on May 10 and 11 at Harford Community College in Bel Air, Md. The East district champion advances to the May 25 through June 1 NJCAA World Series in Grand Junction, Col.