Gaston College opens Region 10 action at USC Sumter

A year ago, Gaston College's baseball team won its first 12 league games, climbed as high as No. 2 in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II polls and won the Western Division regular season title of Region 10 before completing an impressive 41-9 debut season.

This season, after moving up to Division I, the Rhinos are at it again as they prepare to open their Region 10 Division I schedule with a pair doubleheaders this weekend at USC Sumter.

Unlike a year ago when league rivals knew little about coach Shohn Doty's program, this season Gaston College entered the season with high expectations - for itself and from others.

With that comes a target on their back for league opponents since the Rhinos received votes in the NJCAA preseason Division I poll and have climbed from No. 14 in last week's poll to No. 13 in this week's poll. (And Gaston College is No. 8 in the PBR Juco poll and No. 9 in the Dream Big Athletics poll.)

"It's a different role for us, there's no question about that," said Doty, whose 20-2 team will play 1 p.m. doubleheaders at USC Sumter on Saturday and Sunday. "Everybody that we play is aware of what we're capable of doing. To start the conference on the road is a really big challenge. And a four-game series is different than what we're used to."

Last year, the Rhinos played three-game road series as a Division II team that was ineligible for NJCAA postseason play. This year, they'll play seven four-game weekend series against league opponents.

"I like where we are and how we're playing right now," Doty said. "I like the depth we have on the pitching staff and on the bench. It'll be a good challenge. Our guys are ready for it and have been talking about this since we started in August."

Doty hasn't named the order of his probable starting pitchers but he has established his four-man rotation - sophomores J.D. Everett (4-1 record, 4.50 ERA), Derek Vartanian (3-0 record, 0.79 ERA) and Kyle McKernan (4-0 record, 1.88 ERA) and freshman Nolan Straniero (5-1 record, 1.61 ERA).

Those pitchers have been backed up by a powerful offense that is averaging 9.5 runs per game and has a collective batting average of .318 and a collective on-base percentage of .459.

Trey Truitt is the team leader in batting average (.382), home runs (7) and RBIs (24) and is second in stolen bases (11). Other standouts are Wade Kelly (.317, 3 home runs, 17 RBIs, 13 stolen bases), Adam Quintero (.364 average, 3 home runs, 21 RBIs), Konni Durschlag (.346, 1 home runs, 12 RBIs) and Enrique Wood (.333 average, 16 RBIs).