Gaston College softball has 5 NJCAA softball All-Americans

Gaston College's record-setting softball season continues in the offseason as the Rhinos have received the most All-Americans in school history.

The National Junior College Athletic Association honored five Rhinos as Sarah Johnson was a first team selection, Kendall Bradshaw, Kristyn Ezzo and Alayna Patrick were were second team honorees and Grace Kealy was a third team pick.

Johnson, a sophomore from Charlotte, was named first team outfielder after hitting .500 with 40 extra base hits, 10 home runs, 98 RBIs and 32 stolen bases.

Bradshaw, a sophomore from Cary, was a second team outfielder after hitting .451 with 41 extra base hits, 10 home runs, 78 RBIs and 54 stolen bases.

Ezzo, a sophomore from Fountain Inn, S.C., was a second team pitcher after going 26-2 with four saves, a 1.51 ERA and 159 strikeouts in 176 1/3 innings.

Patrick, a sophomore from Kings Mountain, was a second team infielder after hitting .420 with 39 extra base hits, seven home runs and 86 RBIs.

And Kealy, a sophomore from Bloomington, Minn., was a third team infielder after hitting .425 with 39 extra base hits, 20 home runs and 90 RBIs.

That quintet led coach Mike Steuerwald's team to a school-best 63-5 overall, fourth-place NJCAA World Series finish and 29-game winning streak while advancing to the school's second World Series in three years.

It's the second time Gaston College's softball team has been honored with a NJCAA All-America; Brantleigh Parrott was a first team outfielder in 2023.