Hughes has parlayed his Gaston College success into a return to NCAA Division I

When Gus Hughes left the Charlotte 49ers' baseball program to join Gaston College's first-year team, he hoped he could make a return to NCAA Division I baseball.

That's exactly what Hughes will be doing after he has emerged as the Rhinos' pitching ace and recently committed to join teammate Christian Baker at High Point University.

"It just really came down to the school and the coaches," said Hughes, a 2020 Greensboro Grimsley High graduate. "And everything seemed right about High Point being the place I wanted to be."

Hughes is slated to make his ninth start of the season on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the opener of a doubleheader at Catawba Valley Community College. He'll take an impressive 7-0 record and 1.90 ERA with 79 strikeouts in 52 innings into the contest.

A right-handed pitcher who has won his last five starts including a March 26 no-hitter against Wake Tech that earned him NJCAA Division II national pitcher of the week honors, Hughes' pitching dominance has helped the Rhinos win the Region 10 West Division title.

Hughes and Baker visited High Point together in March and both will be on the Panthers' roster next season.

"We actually went on our visit up there together and toured the campus," Hughes said. "Now I'm going to know somebody there and we'll be roommates."

In Saturday's start, Hughes will look to help Gaston College avenge the only loss it has suffered in one of his starts; Catawba Valley erupted in the last two innings after Hughes was relieved after the score was 2-all after seven innings of the Rhinos' first loss of the season on March 12.

"They're one of the teams that have beaten us," Hughes said. "I'm sure they're going to want to have that feeling again. So, yeah, there's a little extra motivation for us."