Unbeaten Gaston College faces biggest challenge of season on road this weekend

Gaston College's baseball team has faced challenges already this season while building its 8-0 record.

But the Rhinos enter the second weekend of Region 10 play facing their tallest order of the season - a three-game series at 2021 NJCAA Division II World Series participant Patrick & Henry Community College in Martinsville, Va.

Both teams have unbeaten records; Gaston College is 8-0 overall and 3-0 in Region 10 and Patrick & Henry is 5-0 and 3-0.

"We'll give them a day off on Monday and practice here from Tuesday to Friday in Gastonia, get on the bus and get in the bed early Friday night to be fresh and ready for what I'm sure is going to be a helluva series," said Rhinos coach Shohn Doty of a series that begins with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday and a noon single game on Sunday.

Gaston College has notched two wins over preseason No. 9 NJCAA Division III team Caldwell Tech, a home doubleheader sweep of Surry Community College, a come-from-behind road win over perennial NJCAA Division I power Spartanburg Methodist and last weekend's three-game sweep at Wake Tech.

Patrick & Henry, ranked No. 10 in the NJCAA preseason Division II poll, is coming of a three-game sweep of 1-run games at Cleveland Community College.

The teams met in October in a fall exhibition game at Lenoir-Rhyne.

"That was our first weekend and we'd only had three team practices and both teams scored a bunch of runs," Doty said. "They swung it really, really well. We swung it really, really well. And neither team pitched it very well. I think our team is a lot different than it was then and I'm sure their team is too."

Gaston College enters with a team .306 batting average with 29 extra base hits and 33 stolen bases and a team 2.47 ERA with 90 strikeouts in 62 innings.

The Rhinos' offensive standouts have been Pierson Gunnell (.467 average, 3 doubles, 1 home run, 8 RBIs), Ahmir Cournier (.400 average, 3 doubles, 1 home run, 11 RBIs), Trenton Snyder (.400 average, 1 double, 2 home runs, 9 RBIs, 5 stolen bases), J.D. Yakubinis (.379 average, 1 double, 2 home runs, 14 RBIs), Konni Durschlag (.370 average, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 6 RBIs), Chandler Riley (.345 average, 3 doubles, 2 home runs, 6 RBIs, 4 stolen bases) and Wade Kelly (.281 average, 8 stolen bases).

The pitching staff has been led by Zach Zedalis (3-0 record, 2.47 ERA, 21 strikeouts in 12 innings), Tyler Parks (2-0 record, 1.64 ERA, 20 strikeouts in 11 innings), J.D. Everett (1-0 record, 3.55 ERA, 16 strikeouts in 12 2-3 innings) and Durschlag (2 saves, 0.00 ERA, 4 strikeouts in 3 innings).

"I think it's good to have two 3-0 teams in the conference playing against one another," Doty said. "For us, it's a chance to play against the No. 10 team in the country. There's a lot to play for."