Versatile Gaston College pitcher commits to Campbell

When Derek Vartanian was pitching for Guilford Tech a year ago, he made 10 starts out of his 13 appearances as the Titans finished with a 12-31 record that included handing Gaston College one of its nine losses.

Certainly, Vartanian and his Guilford Tech teammates enjoyed knocking off the nationally-ranked Rhinos but Vartanian saw something in the Gaston College program that he liked.

"Playing against these guys last year, I just knew I had to get here," Vartanian said of his impressions of the first-year Rhinos' program. "The coaching staff they had and the players they had were winning and having fun."

After transferring to Gaston College, Vartanian got a first-hand view of why the Rhinos had success and enjoyed that success.

He's also recently committed to play major college baseball at Campbell, currently ranked No. 18 in the country.

"Everyone wants to be successful," said Vartanian, a 2021 graduate of Sun Valley High School in Monroe. "I'm just trying to do my best every time I get out there and these guys make that easier for me."

Vartanian becomes the ninth player on the Rhinos' roster to commit to a four-year college.

"We're happy for him," Gaston College coach Shohn Doty said. "Derek came to us and put a lot of faith in us. I'm excited all of his hard work has paid off. His numbers kind of speak for themselves.
"He'll be a great addition for Campbell. We're excited to send him to a program that's currently ranked among the top programs in the country."

A right-handed pitcher, Vartanian has made an immediate impact on his new team while filling various roles on the pitching staff.

"It's a tribute to him," Doty said. "He's one of those 'first guy here, last guy to leave types' because he wants to learn."

Vartanian just had his best effort to date as he faced the minimum 21 batters in Sunday's 8-0 victory over USC Lancaster in the opener of a doubleheader sweep. Vartanian yielded two hits but one was erased by a double play grounder and the other by a caught stealing and he struck out nine to his record to 4-0 with a 0.58 ERA in 10 appearances (4 starts).

It also marked Vartanian's first individual shutout of the season and fourth shutout this season in which Vartanian has pitched.

"I credit a lot of my development to being here," said Vartanian, who is on a pitching staff with four pitchers who have already committed to 4-year schools - J.D. Everett (UNC Wilmington), Jaxson Mangum (Lenoir-Rhyne), David Sande (Radford) and Nolan Straniero (Elon). "I've learned so much from the coaches and the rest of the pitching staff."

Doty credits Vartanian's extraordinary control for his success.

Vartanian has struck out 39 batters with 20 hits, one walk and two runs (both earned) allowed in 31 innings pitched.

"He's throwing the ball amazingly well," Doty said. "The biggest thing for him is that he's a strike-throwing machine. He has one walk and all those strikeouts for us this season."

Vartanian's versatility also is a reason Doty won't commit to a full-time role for his pitcher.

"He can be in the 4-man starting rotation and he can also close," Doty said of Vartanian. "He has a very resilient arm. We're kind of looking for that closer guy. But we'll figure that all out. It's a long way to May and these guys are gaining more and more valuable experience."

Vartanian says he's comfortable in whatever role he's been given.

"If they need me to close, I'll close," Vartanian said. "If they need me to start, I'll start. I'm happy to do whatever they need me to do."