Gaston College softball enters Region 10 tournament seeking to continue momentum

Entering the season, Gaston College's softball team was coming off a school-best 63-5 record and fourth-place finish in the National Junior College Athletic Association World Series.

Even as the Rhinos were ranked a school-best No. 10 in the preseason national poll, many had to wonder what coach Michael Steuerwald's team would do for an encore.

Wonder no more.

Following a 16-3 start against a daunting non-league schedule, Gaston College has won 39 of its last 40 games highlighted by a 21-game winning streak and the current 18-game winning streak.

It left the Rhinos at 55-4 overall with a 23-1 Region 10 record that gives the program its fourth straight regular season title entering this weekend's region tournament in Spartanburg, S.C.

"This whole season has been great," said sophomore outfielder Mary Hinson, who leads the team in hitting with a .457 average. "We've been working really hard and I'm excited to see what we're going to accomplish this since our goal is to get back to the World Series."

Sophomore infielder Katelyn Brandon says she feels the team came together when they returned to school in January in preparation of this year's season that began on Jan. 30.

"I think we started figuring our team out then," said Brandon, who has a .359 batting average and team-highs of 13 home runs and 68 RBIs. "We just have each other's backs on this team and we play for each other.
"I'm just happy that the success is the same. I did love the team last year and I love the team this year."

The team's winningest pitcher, freshman Aidan Ledbetter, was confident Steuerwald had recruited behind last year's team to be successful again.

"I think we all knew we had to step into different roles and he has really pushed us to be a good team," said Ledbetter, who has a 19-1 record with two saves and 175 strikeouts in 130 1/3 innings. "Knowing that he (coach Steuerwald) trusts me to get the job done has built my confidence."

As a freshman, Ledbetter is going through her first national playoff competition.

"There's pressure," Ledbetter said. "But I think it's good pressure. It gets your adrenaline going."