Gaston College historic trip to the World Series comes after a successful two-year building process
When Shohn Doty was hired as baseball coach for Gaston College in 2021, he felt confident he could attract talent to the school's first team in 50 years.
A former junior college player himself before he began his coaching career, Doty knew building a winning program would be challenging.
Fast forward to this week as the Rhinos' baseball program is a two-time 40-game winner and preparing for a historic trip to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I World Series in Grand Junction, Col.
"It's special what's been accomplished and I have to compliment the players and my assistant coaches," Doty said.
Doty hired former Wingate assistant Jacob Rand and former North Carolina Central K.J. McAllister in the summer of 2021 - and the three of them quickly hit the recruiting trail for many of the players who have built Gaston College into one of the nation's top programs.
"It all started last year when we got here and I had the opportunity to interview some really good assistant coaches," Doty said. "Jacob was out trying to win a ring and did win a ring (as Wingate won the NCAA Division II national title in June 2021) and K.J. was at North Carolina Central finishing up a season.
"Once I got them in here, I shared with them the vision I had of what I wanted our program to look like with the pillars being really good on the mound, really good on defense and patient but aggressive at the plate while working the count."
With that in mind, Doty, Rand and McAllister made personal contacts, phone calls and watched hours of film and video to determine who to recruit for Gaston College's first baseball roster since 1972.
The fact that tne NJCAA was giving players a two-year waiver and the NCAA was giving players a one-year waiver due to the COVID-19 pandemic helped some as it created a backlog on major college rosters that has trickled down to the junior college ranks.
"My experience at the Division I level I think helped us get some guys from the transfer portal and we got some guys that either hadn't had success or hadn't had opportunties," said Doty, whose team had 16 players with NCAA Division I experience on its 2022 roster.
Setting the high goal of pursuing a regular season title since, as a first-year program, the Rhinos were ineligible for NJCAA postseason play, gave the initial team something to shoot for.
And not only did Gaston College start its inaugural season 19-0, it would finish 41-9 overall, earning a national ranking of as high as No. 2 in two polls and clinched a Region 10 Division II Western Conference title with a week left in the regular season.
"Our guys had a lot of faith in us," Doty said. "When we were recruiting that first class of players, our home field (Gastonia's Sims Legion Park) didn't look like it looks right now. We didn't have the locker rooms built. So those guys took a leap of faith.
"But because of (Gaston College) Dr. (John) Hauser, the (Gaston College) board (of trustees) and everyone else, we were able to come through with the promises that we made. And with the success we had, I would say our ability to recruit to high level transfers and high school kids went up, especially after having a 41-9 season.
"We just looked to build upon that this year. The model was the same but we tried to get better players, better students and better people."
Still, constructing the 2023 roster involved matching needs with the talents of returning players and incoming recruits.
"When we first started, we were all shocked at how many people were willing to come here," Doty said. "Then after last year, we all re-evaluated what we did in a short period of time and what we needed to do to get better.
"We all agreed that we needed to improve on the pitcher's mound and we needed to be more physical at the plate. And we really believed that if we did those things, we'd have a chance to be pretty good again.
"And after the (2022) summer recruiting class, I think we looked at our team and said, 'We have a chance to be a World Series team.'"
The move from Division II to Division I meant a more challenging schedule along with the higher goal of pursuing a World Series.
The Rhinos' schedule included games against former World Series teams USC Sumter, Spartanburg Methodist, Louisburg and Florence Darlington Tech in Region 10 play and non-region games against Division I World Series regular Walters Tenn., and current Region 10 Division II and III teams that have made appearances in at least one previous NJCAA World Series - Southeastern Community College, Caldwell Tech, Catawba Valley Community College, Lenoir Community College and Patrick & Henry Community College.
"The plan has always been the plan," Doty said. "We've never deviated from it. And it's worked out for us for two years."
This season's results have been a 49-11 record that includes national rankings throughout the season, a Region 10 championship and a East District title won at Gastonia's Sims Legion Park during a May 12-14 tournament.
With a roster of 12 four-year collegiate signings or commitments - and several more expected - Doty is confident his team is ready for take on another challenge in the 10-team World Series that starts on Saturday.
"Again, I've got to give our players the credit," Doty said. "They've panned out and done all that we've asked them to do. Now it's a question of how much deeper we can go this season in the World Series."