Star Pitcher Leads Gaston College To Softball World Series
When 2023 Coach of the Year Mike Steuerwald and his staff of Lani Ries, Jessica Beck and Bethany Doty hit the recruiting trail for the 2023 season, they not only attracted more talented players but they found a pitcher-outfielder that dominated Region 10 play and has helped the Rhinos into a unprecedented World Series appearance.
From a referral by Haylee Salter, a prospect Coach Lani Ries was recruiting from Central Cabarrus High School, Ries learned that Brantleigh Parrott, also a Central Cabarrus graduating senior player, “didn’t have any place to play.”
Since joining the Gaston College Rhinos, Parrott’s 0.31 ERA and 295 strikeouts are No. 1 in the country and she’s tied for ninth in victories with 24. In her 34 pitching appearances, she has a 24-0 record with six saves and 12 shutouts in 157 2/3 innings while yielding 60 hits, 23 walks and 10 runs (7 earned).
“She was a good pitcher in high school,” Steuerwald said of Parrott, who had a 10-1 pitching record with a 1.06 ERA and 205 strikeouts as a high school senior. “But she really wanted to focus on playing the outfield. But when you’re really good like she’s been, it’s hard to not use her in the circle.
“And now she wants the ball in those critical situations.”