Gaston College softball opens 2025 season with tougher schedule, high expectations and first national ranking

As Gaston College's only softball coach in its athletic history, Michael Steuerwald has always vowed to make the Rhinos a regionally and nationally relevant program.

That's not going to change this season that begins with Friday's noon doubleheader at Gastonia's CaroMont Health Park against defending National Junior College Athletic Association Division III championship-winner Patrick & Henry Community College, Va.

Gaston College got more validation in Tuesday's NJCAA preseason rankings as the Rhinos were picked No. 23 in the poll - the first national ranking in school history.

"This group showed throughout the fall drills, especially against the NCAA Division I and Division II teams that we faced (in exhibition games), that we can be really, really good," said Steuerwald, who enters the season with a 92-19 record at Gaston College in three seasons. "We've got a little more athleticism and flexibility this year than in year's past. We just need those people to step into those roles and take them.
"And if we can play the way we want to play, we're going to be where we want to be."

The Rhinos started as a club program in 2022 with a small roster.

All that changed - and fast - the last two seasons as Steuerwald and his coaching staff stocked the roster with talented players that went 43-10 in a 2023 season that ended in the NJCAA Division I World Series and went 49-9 and won the 2024 Region 10 regular season title while also receiving votes for the NJCAA poll.

This season, seven players return highlighted by All-American Grace Kealy and All-Region 10 selections Kealy, Abigail Brewton, Alayna Patrick, Kendall Bradshaw and Skye Harrington.

Steuerwald and his staff added 15 newcomers to the roster.

"I think we can be really, really good this year," Steuerwald said. "I don't know if that's going to be reflected in the record as compared to past years because this is going to be our toughest schedule."

In addition to playing defending Division III national champion Patrick & Henry, Division II World Series participants Louisburg and Bryant & Stratton, Va., defending Region 10 Division I tournament champion Florence Darlington Tech and trips to Georgia and Alabama to play national powers.

Also, the region schedule has been increased from 16 games to 24.

"I think our expectations are high but we want to stay focused on what's in front of us for the next day," Steuerwald said.

As it does every year, it all starts with pitching and Brewton returns after going 22-2 with two saves and a 1.67 ERA in 30 appearances (27 starts). Newcomers Kristyn Ezzo and Savanna Mullins will join Brewton as starters with returnee Phoebe Cole and newcomers Mary Hinson and Courtney Grimmer getting innings most likely out of the bullpen.

Of the every day positions, Harrington returns at catcher, Kealy has moved from third base to first base, Patrick returns as second base, newcomer Katelyn Brandon will start the season at shortstop as returnee Dakota Marshall recovers from offseason surgery, newcomers Arissa Duff and Savanna Price are competing for third base, newcomers Sarah Johnson (left field) and Hinson (center field) will join Bradshaw, who moves from left field to right field, in the outfield.

Newcomer McKenna Jones along with Price and Duff are competing for the backup catching role for Harrington.

Here's the full 2025 softball schedule:

Jan. 24 Patrick & Henry Community College, noon DH
Jan. 26 Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute, noon DH
Jan. 30 Bryant & Stratton College, Va., 1 p.m. DH
Feb. 1 at Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute, noon DH
Feb. 6 Pellissippi State, noon DH
Feb. 7 Monroe University - Bronx, N.Y., 3 p.m. DH
Feb. 9 Louisburg College, 1 p.m. DH
Feb. 14 at Gordon State College, 1 p.m.
Feb. 14 Lake-Sumter State College, 5 p.m. (at Gordon State)
Feb. 15 Lake-Sumter State College, 2 p.m. (at Gordon State)
Feb. 15 at Gordon State College, 4 p.m.
Feb. 21-22 JUCO Extravaganza at Choccolocco Park, Oxford, Ala.
-Feb. 21 Northeast Alabama, 3 p.m. EST
-Feb. 21 Blinn, 5 p.m. EST
-Feb. 22 Marion, 3 p.m. EST
-Feb. 22 Northwest Shoals Community College, 7 p.m. EST
Feb. 25 Walters State Community College, 1 p.m. DH
(Gordon State vs. Patrick Henry, 3 p.m. DH on Feb. 28 at CaroMont Health Park)
March 1 Gordon State College, noon DH
March 4 Surry Community College, 3 p.m. DH
March 8 Florence-Darlington Technical College, 1 p.m. DH
March 10 at Pellissippi State, Noon DH
March 11 at Walters State Community College, 1 p.m. DH
March 13 at Louisburg College, 1 p.m. DH
March 16 at USC Sumter, 1 p.m. DH
March 21 at USC Union, 1 p.m. DH
March 23 USC Sumter, 1 p.m. DH
March 27 at USC Salkehatchie, 1 p.m. DH
March 28 at USC Salkehatchie, noon DH
April 1 USC Union, 3 p.m. DH
April 3 at Surry Community College, 3 p.m. DH
April 6 Florence-Darlington Technical College, 1 p.m. DH
April 8 USC Salkehatchie, 2 p.m. DH
April 10 USC Sumter, 4 p.m. DH
April 13 at Florence-Darlington Technical College, 1 p.m. DH
April 19 at USC Union, 1 p.m. DH
May 1-4 Region 10 tournament
May 7-8 Mid-Atlantic District tournament (Region 10 champion is host)
May 20-24 NJCAA national championship tournament (at Yuma, Ariz.)