Despite opening round loss, Gaston College determined to make long stay at NJCAA World Series

Gaston College's baseball team has faced very little adversity in this historic season.

But after losing its opening game of the National Junior College Athletic Association World Series, the Rhinos are determined to respond by setting more history.

After all, another victory would make Gaston College the eighth team in Region 10 history to reach 50 victories in a single season - and first since 2009.

Previous Region 10 teams to reach victories are Louisburg (51-11) and Spartanburg Methodist (51-10) in 2002, Spartanburg Methodist (50-16) in 2003, Spartanburg Methodist (54-15) in 2007, Lenoir Community College (54-12) in 2008 and Spartanburg Methodist (55-9) and USC Sumter (52-11) in 2009.

Reaching that milestone will take bouncing back from Sunday's 9-3 opening round loss to Blinn, Tex., in a loser's bracket matchup on Tuesday at noon Eastern Time against Shelton State, Ala.

Coach Shohn Doty is confident his team that is now 49-12 overall will respond.

"Overall, it's been quite an experience," Doty said. "There were 5,000 and something fans at our game (official attendance was 5,123) and the atmosphere was great.
"But we have to be better. We know we didn't leave our best game on the field by any stretch of the imagination. And it's like I told our guys, 'We should pack for Friday.' And I honestly think we can still be here if we'll play the way that we're capable of playing."

In Sunday's loss to Blinn, Gaston College left 10 runners on base and allowed a 6-run third inning that makes the 9-3 result look a lot closer than the score may have indicated.

Blinn scored seven runs off previously unbeaten Rhinos' pitcher Derek Vartanaian, who struck the side in the first inning before yielding one run in the second inning and six in the third.

"You know, that just hasn't happened to Derek all year and I think it kind of freaked us out a little bit," Doty said. "But we'll get the ship righted on Tuesday and my plan is to be here for a long time."

On Monday's off day, Gaston College will hold a morning practice before players and their families tour the Colorado National Monument.

Established as a National Park on May 24, 1911, the area is 20,500 acres and features sheer-walled canyons cut deep into sandstone and granite-gneiss-schist rock formations on an area of desert land high on the Colorado Plateau.

"I will be at the ballpark figuring out who we are going to play and scouting," Doty said of watching Monday's Shelton State-Wabash Valley game. "But I want them to have a little fun and enjoy being here. We just need to be better when we play again on Tuesday."

The full NJCAA Division I World Series results and pairings (with seeding, district title won followed by team and record):

(Saturday, May 27)
Game 1: No. 4 Southwest- Weatherford, Tex. (50-9) vs. No. 7 South Central- Delgado, La. (45-11) - Weatherford 10-9
Game 2: No. 1 South Atlantic- Central Florida (51-6) vs. No. 10 Appalachian- Andrew, Ga. (34-23) - Central Florida 12-0 in 5
Game 3: No. 2 Plains- Johnson County, Kansas (55-8) vs. No. 9 South- Shelton State, Ala. (31-28) - Shelton State 6-5 in 10
Game 4: No. 3 Midwest- Wabash Valley, Ill. (53-11) vs. No. 8 West- Salt Lake, Utah (31-18) - Wabash Valley 9-8

(Sunday, May 28)
Game 5: No. 5 Mid-South- Blinn, Tex. (44-13) vs. No. 6 East- Gaston College (49-11) - Blinn 9-3
Game 6: Delgado, La. vs. Andrew, Ga. - Delgado 11-5 (Andrew eliminated)
Game 7: Johnson County, Kansas vs. Salt Lake, Utah - Johnson County 16-4 in 5 (Salt Lake eliminated)

(Monday, May 29)
Game 8: Shelton State, Ala. vs. Wabash Valley, Ill. - Wabash Valley 6-5
Game 9: Delgado, La. vs. Johnson County, Kansas - Delgado 14-4 in 5 (Johnson County eliminated)
Game 10: Weatherford, Tex. vs. Central Florida, 9 p.m. ET

(Tuesday, May 30)
Game 11: Gaston College vs. Game 8 loser, noon ET
Game 12: Game 10 loser vs. Delgado, La., 4 p.m. ET
Game 13: Game 8 winner vs. Blinn, Tex., 9 p.m. ET

(Wednesday, May 31)
Game 14: Game 11 winner vs. Game 13 loser, 4 p.m. ET
Game 15: Game 10 winner vs. Game 13 winner, 9 p.m. ET

(Thursday, June 1)
Game 16: Game 14 winner vs. Game 15 loser, 5 p.m. ET
Game 17: Game 15 winner vs. Game 12 winner, 9 p.m. ET

(Friday, June 2)
Game 18: Game 17 winner vs. Game 16 winner, 9 p.m. ET

(Saturday, June 3)
Game 19 (if necessary): If Game 17 winner loses Game 18