Gaston College softball to honor program pioneers who built Rhinos into national power

Less than three years ago, Gaston College's softball program was born with the hiring of head coach Mike Steuerwald and his coaching staff of Lani Ries, Jessica Beck and Bethany Doty.

There'was little time or opportunity to recruit for the inaugural 2022 season in which the Rhinos struggled as a club team.

Enter the recruiting class for the fall of 2022.

The entrance of that group includes six players still on the roster and a NCAA Division I transfer that make up the seven-player second-year class that will be honored at Sunday's "Sophomore Day" before a 1 p.m. doubleheader against USC Sumter at Gastonia's CaroMont Health Park.

And the impact of the seven players cannot be understated.

"This group of sophomores has been incredible," Steuerwald said of sophomores Gracie Brown, Tessa Hunt, Kinsey Johnson, Logan Lilly, Grace Manning, Gabrielle Porterfield and Abigail Gawlinski. "This group is 78 and 15 over two years, which is incredible for any team but for a team that is in their first two official seasons says an incredible amount about the way they have gone about their business on and off the field.
"They already have a region championship, a district championship and a World Series appearance and have accomplished a lot in the community as well.
"The other piece we are extremely proud of this group is how talented academically they are. Several of them will be attending four-year schools next year and are still making decisions on where they will play in the future. We are extremely excited for the opportunities that are in front of them and what their future holds once they leave."

Brown, Hunt, Johnson, Lilly, Manning and Porterfield helped the program go 43-10 last season in the school's first year of National Junior College Athletic Association postseason eligibility with Region 10 and Mid-Atlantic District titles and a historic appearance in the World Series in Oxford, Ala.

By becoming the first Region 10 Division I World Series participant since 2016, Gaston College knew expectations would be high again for this season. And entering Friday's doubleheader at perennial Division II power Louisburg, the Rhinos are 35-5 overall, 9-1 in Region 10 play and have received the school's first ever attention in the NJCAA national poll by receiving votes for six of the last seven weeks.

Brown, a catcher from Concord and a 2022 Kannapolis Brown High graduate, hit .270 with one home run, 18 RBIs and 12 stolen bases in 50 games last season and is hitting .333 with 10 RBIs and four stolen bases in 23 games this season.

"Gracie Brown has been a huge part of our team success over the two years here," Steuerwald said. "She was our first official commit from our first fall camp we hosted here Gaston College. She has been a rock behind the plate catching almost every single game her freshman year and being a huge piece of our success this season."

Hunt, a pitcher from Lincolnton and a 2022 North Lincoln High graduate, hit .230 with seven RBIs and had a 9-5 pitching record in 22 appearances (14 starts) last season and is hitting .500 with two RBIs in seven games and has a 4.20 ERA in two appearances this season.

"Tessa has done a great job for us as an incredible teammate and a huge piece to our pitching staff," Steuerwald said. "Although her time has been limited this season, she has been a huge contributor on and off the field to what we have been able to accomplish as a team and the success we have had as a pitching staff. I have loved Tessa's ability to show up and work day-in and day-out whether she is in the lineup or not."

Johnson, an infielder from Statesville and a 2022 South Iredell High graduate, played in 17 games last season and nine games this season.

"Kinsey Johnson is a person every coach wants on their team," Steuerwald said. "She shows up and does what she is asked and always has a smile on her face. She has been a big piece of our team success by contributing to the little details over the past two years."

Lilly, an infielder from Rutherfordton and a 2022 McDowell County High graduate, hit .335 with 37 RBIs and nine stolen bases in 53 games last season and is hitting .339 with 12 RBIs in 27 games this season.

"Logan Lilly has been a tough competitor for us over two years," Steuerwald said. "Coming off of shoulder surgery this past off-season, she has worked extremely hard to get herself back in the lineup. She was a huge piece of our World Series team starting at second base and has found a way to contribute in several different roles this season. We as a coaching staff appreciate how she shows up day and day out and contributes to the team success in any capacity she has been asked."

Manning, an outfielder from Weddington and a 2022 Weddington High graduate, hit .232 with three home runs, 28 RBIs and 13 stolen bases in 52 games last season and is hitting .667 in nine games this season.

"Grace Manning is a energy piece for our team," Steuerwald said. "She is someone that worked her way into the lineup as a freshman starting many games in right field for us and having several big hits, including a home run against Florence-Darlington Tech. She has been working her way back from surgery this off-season and has continued to find ways to be a great teammate and contribute whether it is picking up charts or being an energy piece in the dugout."

Porterfield, an outfielder from Lexington, S.C., and a 2022 White Knoll High graduate, hit .297 with 30 RBIs and 39 stolen bases while earning All-Region 10 honors last season and is hitting .457 with two home runs, 29 RBIs and 26 stolen bases in 40 games while also becoming the school's first player to reach 100 career hits.

"Gabby Porterfield has been a spark plug for us on and off the field," Steuerwald said. "When she plays at an All-American level, we are capable of being a World Series team again. It has been a great joy for us as a coaching staff to see her accomplish so much on the field and to reach the 100-hit plateau Last week."

And Gawlinski, a pitcher from Des Plaines, Ill., and a 2021 Maine West High graduate who transferred from the University of Green Bay after being a Horizon League all-freshman selection in 2022, has a 14-4 record and 2.33 ERA with 87 strikeouts in 20 starts this season.

"Abby Gawlinski was a big addition to our pitching staff this off-season," Steuerwald said. "She was someone that took a chance on committing to us and being a huge piece of what we have accomplished as a team this year. She is someone that you know is going to show up and work day-in and day-out, and that has been evidenced by her success in the circle this season. As a coach, you appreciate her fire in the circle and her energy to support her teammates."