2023-24 REVIEW: Baseball becomes school's first-ever No. 1-ranked team
When Gaston College began preparation for the 2024 baseball season in the fall of 2023, a handful of returning players were back from a historic season that ended with the Rhinos advancing to the National Junior College Athletic Association World Series.
What could the program possibly do for an encore?
How about becoming the school's first-ever No. 1 nationally-ranked team while also setting school records for overall wins and winning streak.
That's exactly what coach Shohn Doty's team accomplished in a 2024 season that ended with a 51-8 overall record following its Region 10 tournament loss.
"We've set the bar really high here every year," Doty said. "That's not going to change.
"I think that we're going to continue to do what we've done and be a top program in the region. This year, I thought we grew and I thought we got better."
The sadness of defeat in the region tournament is an indication of just how high expectations are for the Rhinos.
But they won't diminish the team's accomplishments.
A preseason No. 14 ranking sure seemed low after Gaston College won three of four games against national power (and No. 5-ranked) Walters State in the second weekend of the regular season gave an indication of the team's greatness.
Not only did it propel the team to a No. 2 national ranking by the end of February, but it came a week before a 26-game winning streak began.
By season's end, seven Gaston College baseball players were honored as members of the All-Region 10 team for 2024 - Ben Karpowicz (outfield), Freddie Oliver (infield), Seth Christmas (catcher), Mason Smith (pitcher) and Landon Carr (pitcher) were named to the first team, Andrew Muraco (infield) to the second team and Karpowicz (outfield), Trent Murchison (outfield) and Muraco (second base) to the Golden Glove team. Additionally, Smith was named Region 10 pitcher of the year, Carr relief pitcher of the year and Karpowicz defensive player of the year.
Christmas also was named to the second NJCAA Division I All-American team and was honorable mention All-American by the National Scouting Bureau.
Oliver would also set the school's career home run record (17) and single-game stolen base record (4).
Christmas set the school's single-season RBI mark (76) and single-game RBI record (7).
And Murchison set the school's single-season stolen base record (51).
More importantly, 16 Gaston College players signed or committed to four-year colleges for next season - Carr (Campbell), Christmas (Liberty), Calvert Clark (Appalachian State), J.J. DeVos (Mount Olive), Caleb Estes (Charlotte), Karpowicz (Campbell), Trevor Lucas (UNC Wilmington), Muraco (Old Dominion), Murchison (High Point), Wagner Morrissette (Iowa), Oliver (North Carolina A&T), Smith (Campbell), Sean Sullivan (Wingate), Shane Thorson (Memphis), Evan Vandenbosch (Georgia Southern) and Isaac Williams (Elon).
Late in the regular season, a No. 1-ranked Rhinos' team won three times in a four-game series at Gastonia's Sims Legion Park against No. 4-ranked Florence Darlington Tech; Florence-Darlington would go on to win the Region 10 tournament title and finished fourth in the NJCAA World Series with both losses to eventual champion Blinn, Tex.
"To go 51-8 and be the No. 1 team in the country helps set the bar high and helps recruiting," Doty said. "Now the next step is understanding truly what that means - and that means you're going to get everybody's best shot.
"The standard for us is to be in the Region 10 final every year and in the Eastern district tournament every year with a chance to go to the World Series.
"So I'm disappointed with the finish but excited for our future. I'm excited for the first No. 1 ranking and excited for the 51 wins."