Gaston College's appearance in NJCAA District tournament has been 2 years in the making

When Gaston College baseball coach Shohn Doty was hired, he knew that the National Junior College Athletic Association baseball tournament was annually held in Grand Junction, Col.

So why not use advancing to that venue that has hosted the event since 1959 as a selling point to recruits?

And that's exactly what he's done.

"We've talked about getting to Colorado since the beginning," said Gaston College catcher-first baseman J.D. Yakubinis, one of 12 2-year players on the Gaston College roster this season. "That goal hasn't changed.
"But we've got to take it one game at a time, one inning at a time, one game at a time. If you win enough pitches, enough innings and enough games, you'll have a pretty good year."

The Rhinos have done that for a second straight season, only this time as an eligible NJCAA playoff participant, they are three wins away from becoming the 40th team in 64 seasons to represent Region 10 in World Series.

Gaston College went 41-9 last season and earned as high as a No. 2 national ranking but as a first-year program were ineligible for national competition.

This season, the Rhinos will take a 45-10 record into this week's NJCAA District tournament it hosts. Gaston College is currently ranked No. 12 in the NJCAA poll and has been ranked as high as No. 4 in another national poll.

The 4-team, double-elimination tournament that runs through Sunday will start on Friday with Harford, Md. meeting Florence Darlington Tech at 1 p.m. and Gaston College meeting Potomac State, Md. at 5 p.m. The winner advances to the May 27-June 3 NJCAA World Series at Sam Suplizio Field in Grand Junction, Col.

"Being a part of these first two teams means a lot," Gaston College pitcher J.D. Everett said. "Being a part of that first-year group was really special. I know it means a lot to all the second-year guys. And we've not done yet. We're still working on some goals that we set from the start of this program."

Of Region 10 teams, Louisburg has made the most World Series appearances (11), Florence Darlington Tech was the most recent team to advance (2021) and Wilmington College (now UNC Wilmington) is the only team to win a title when it won the 1961 and 1963 championships.

Gaston College advanced by winning the Region 10 championship on Tuesday in a 5-3 victory over USC Lancaster on Tuesday morning at Lexington County Stadium in Lexington, S.C.

"I'm just so proud of our kids," Doty said. "From the time we got here, it was about winning the Region 10 title and hosting the district tournament.
"Now it's going to be an uphill battle in this tournament with four great teams. But the bottom line is that we are three wins away from Grand Junction."

Daily admission is $15 and children 5 and under are free. Gaston College students can get free admission with a Gaston College issued ID or class registration. Gaston College faculty and staff can get free admission with their staff ID or college name badge and families of staff and faculty will still have to pay admission).

Here's the full schedule for the 2020 NJCAA Eastern District tournament at Gastonia's Sims Legion Park:

(Friday, May 12)
Game 1: No. 2 Harford, Md. (34-16-1) vs. No. 3 Florence Darlington Tech (48-11), 1 p.m.
Game 2: No. 1 Gaston College (45-10) vs. No. 4 Potomac State, W.Va. (30-16), 5 p.m.
(Saturday, May 13)
Game 3: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 11 a.m.
Game 4: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 2:30 p.m.
Game 5: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 winner, 5 p.m.
(Sunday, May 14)
Game 6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 7 (if necessary): Game 6 winner if it is the Game 5 winner, 45 minutes after Game 6 ends