Gaston College softball opens 2023 season of high expectations with Monday exhibition doubleheader
After being hired late in the recruiting cycle before the 2022 season, Gaston College softball coach Mike Steuerwald knew he'd have to scramble just to field a team.
This season, not only does Steuerwald have close to the full roster he wants, he has a talented team that has expectations of success in the Rhinos' first year of National Junior College Athletic Association eligibility.
And Steuerwald has set high expectations for his second team.
"We told them in our first team meeting we expect to win every time we step on the field and everything we're doing is for us to make it to the national tournament and, hopefully, win a national championship this year," Steuerwald said. "You know, if you're not talking about that and putting it out there, the players aren't thinking about it. But that's what we're working towards."
To do so will involve combining two returnees with 13 newcomers.
Infielders McKenzie Plaskin and Serena Yalich are the returning players and catcher Jailyn Tineo (North Carolina A&T), infielder Asheton Queen (Gardner-Webb) and pitcher Lydia Poover (UNC Pembroke) are transfers with experience Steuerwald hopes will pay off for his team.
"Plaskin and Serena played for our first team and Jailyn and Asheton and Lydia also have played in college," Steuerwald said. "Having some people with experience is huge."
Other newcomers are catcher Gracie Brown, pitchers Amiya Tomlinson, Tessa Hunt and Brantleigh Parrott, infielders Haylee Salter, Logan Lilly and Kinsey Johnson and outfielders Grace Manning, Emma Smiley, Gabrielle Porterfield and Kaliyah Hardy.
"Honestly, the 15 that we have, I feel really good and confident about," Steuerwald said. "We've got some really good arms in the circle and some good athletes in the infield and some good bats up and down the lineup.
"The thing that we as a coaching staff preach is that if we can take care of the details with the softball knowledge that we have, I think we can play at a really high level and win a lot of games."
That'll begin with a 4 p.m. Monday scrimmage doubleheader against four-year NCAA Division II school Belmont Abbey at Gastonia's CaroMont Health Park that will serve as the Rhinos' home field.
After a noon doubleheader at St. Andrews on Tuesday to open the season, a 10-game homestand at CaroMont Health Park opens the regular season; The Rhinos host doubleheaders against Patrick & Henry Community College on Feb. 11 at 1 p.m., against Catawba Valley Community College on Feb. 12 at 2 p.m., against Morton, Ill., on Feb. 17 and 18 at 1 p.m., and against Cleveland Community College on Feb. 22 at 3 p.m.
"We're looking forward to getting back on the field and seeing opposing pitchers and seeing other teams," Steuerwald said. "Playing Belmont Abbey gives us a chance to get ready for our regular season."