Highlanders Return To Action For Fall Practice/Scrimmage Season
It's been just over six months since the last Gordon State College athletics team was in action in mid-March and then COVID-19 brought sports around the world to a sudden stop. But the return of students to the GSC campus for the fall semester also signaled a return of Highlanders' Athletics as all four intercollegiate sports kicked off their fall practice and scrimmage seasons.
As a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), GSC learned along with all members of the NJCAA on July 13 that fall and winter sports would be moving their regular seasons to the spring and the fall term would be utilized for practices and scrimmages.
After GSC kicked off the 2020-2021 academic year with the beginning of classes on August 12, the sports of baseball, men's basketball, women's soccer and softball have begun their respective fall season and welcomed new Highlanders to their rosters.
On the baseball diamond, head coach Kent Rollins comes to Highlander Nation from Murray State University (Ky.) where he served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Racers for the past two seasons. Rollins was also an assistant coach at Georgia College for two years when the Bobcats claimed a pair of Peach Belt Conference tournament championships and the 2018 regular-season title.
Ally Hattermann is back for her 21st season as the head coach of GSC Softball and also taken over the duties of Assistant Athletics Director for Scholarships and Eligibility.
Bruce Capers returns for his eighth season as the head coach of GSC Men's Basketball and added the role of Assistant Athletics Director for Events and Game Day Operations.
Scott Henderson, who first came to GSC in 2002, enters his seventh season as the head coach of GSC Women's Soccer after leading the Highlanders to the 2019 Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association regular-season and tournament titles.
New to Highlander Nation this fall are the following student-athletes:
SOFTBALL – Head coach Ally Hattermann / Assistant coach Niki Moncrief
Catherine Barefield Fr. INF Harris County HS Cataula, Ga.
Alexys Buffington Fr. C Whitewater HS Brooks, Ga.
Taylor Corley Fr. OF Warner Robins HS Warner Robins, Ga.
Rebecca Graham Fr. OF Upson-Lee HS Thomaston, Ga.
Kylee Housman Fr. OF Pike Co. HS Zebulon, Ga.
Kinsey Jones Fr. SS Rockmart HS Aragon, Ga.
Chandler Mitchell Fr. INF Locust Grove HS Forsyth, Ga.
Kaylee Phillips Fr. RHP Ringgold HS Dalton, Ga.
Jadyn Thornton Fr. C Ariton HS Ozark, Ala.
MEN'S BASKETBALL – Head coach Bruce Capers / Assistant coach Darrell Thomas
Charles Adebeyo Fr. F E-Cube Academy/Hope HS Providence, R.I.
Alonzo Bacon Fr. G/F North Atlanta HS Atlanta, Ga.
Andrew Brown Fr. F Chamblee HS Atlanta, Ga.
Varun Danak Fr. G/F Brookwood HS Snellville, Ga.
Trenton Gordon Fr. G Duluth HS Duluth, Ga.
DeAndre Hayes Fr. G Mt. Zion Christian Academy Durham, N.C.
JahNile Hill So. G Manchester HS Manchester, Ga.
Destin Jenkins Fr. G Sandy Creek HS Tyrone, Ga.
Jheim McDonald Fr. G Rockdale Co. HS Conyers, Ga.
Elwood Moore Fr. G Lakeside HS Atlanta, Ga.
Shawn Smith Fr. G Newton County HS Conyers, Ga.
Kaleb Taylor Fr. F Jones County HS Macon, Ga.
Isaiah Wray Fr. F Union Grove HS Long Island, N.Y.
WOMEN'S SOCCER – Head coach Scott Henderson / Assistant coach Tim Conklin
Bailey Arnold Fr. F Apalachee HS Bethlehem, Ga.
Payton Asher Fr. D Ida S. Baker HS Cape Coral, Fla.
Lizzy Grant Fr. D Northgate HS Sharpsburg, Ga.
Emily Harwell Fr. D Spalding HS Griffin, Ga.
Haley Jones Fr. M Pike County HS Williamson, Ga.
Sophia Kotopka Fr. M East Bay HS Riverview, Fla.
Sara Licari Fr. F Pike County HS Zebulon, Ga.
Emma Lovell Fr. M Coral Shores HS Tavernier, Fla.
Mallory McCarthney Fr. GK Spalding HS Griffin, Ga.
Maia Osuna-Best Fr. M Palmetto HS Palmetto, Fla.
Audrey Pavik Fr. M Harrison HS Kennesaw, Ga.
Aniah Rasool Fr. D Lennard HS Ruskin, Fla.
Haley Reid Fr. D Spalding HS Griffin, Ga.
Angie Santos Fr. GK Harmony HS Kissimmee, Fla.
Madison Schmucker Fr. F Ida S. Baker HS Cape Coral, Fla.
Sara Schultz Fr. M Alexander HS Villa Rica, Ga.
Lourdes Tompkins Fr. M Oglethorpe County HS Stephens, Ga.
Molly Worst Fr. M Whitewater HS Brooks, Ga.
BASEBALL – Head coach Kent Rollins / Assistant coach TBA
Bryce Ballard Fr. INF New Creation HS McDonough, Ga.
DJ Banks Fr. INF McEachern HS Powder Springs, Ga.
Casey Casseen Fr. RHP Central Carroll HS Carrollton, Ga.
Hill Corley Fr. INF/RHP Lee County HS Albany, Ga.
Ramsey David RFr. RHP Buford HS (Auburn Univ.) Dacula, Ga.
Logan DeLong Fr. UTL Denmark HS Alpharetta, Ga.
Garrett Dowell Fr. RHP Madison County HS Comer, Ga.
Farid Eljaiek Fr. OF Creekside HS Jacksonville, Fla.
Brooks Gorman Fr. RHP/INF Tattnall Square Academy Macon, Ga.
Josh Green Fr. RHP South Forsyth HS Cumming, Ga.
Will Hensley Fr. OF Lambert HS Cumming, Ga.
Rafael Jackson Fr. OF Dominion Christian School Kennesaw, Ga.
Devin Keen RFr. INF Griffin HS Griffin, Ga.
Jude King Fr. RHP Telfair County HS McRae, Ga.
Will Lawrence RFr. LHP Pickens Co. HS (Wallace St.) Jasper, Ga.
Tate Marks Fr. RHP/INF Piedmont Academy Covington, Ga.
Will McCrum RFr. INF Kennesaw Mtn. HS (U. of Del.) Kennesaw, Ga.
Garner McKeon Fr. INF Mill Creek HS Buford, Ga.
Trey Mullins Fr. INF Mill Creek HS Buford, Ga.
Blaze O'Saben RSo. OF Fauquier HS (UMBC) Warrenton, Va.
Nathaniel Shipley Fr. OF/RHP Pope HS Marietta, Ga.
Cole Stanford Fr. C Harris Co. HS Ellerslie, Ga.
Carson Strovinskas Fr. C Lassiter HS (Lee University) Marietta, Ga.
GSC is also proud of these former Highlander student-athletes from the 2019-2020 academic year who have moved on to continue their academic and athletic careers this fall, including:
SOFTBALL
Savannah Cook Buchanan, Ga. Brewton-Parker College (Ga.)
Camryn Currie Marietta, Ga. Georgia Gwinnett College
Madison Powell Roberta, Ga. Wesleyan College (Ga.)
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Elavian Bowles Savannah, Ga. Savannah State University
Eleik Bowles Savannah, Ga. Savannah State University
Tristan Harper Columbus, Ga. Middle Georgia State University
Shamarie McLeod Snellville, Ga. Claflin University (S.C.)
Caleb Towns Loganville, Ga. Young Harris College (Ga.)
WOMEN'S SOCCER
Jennifer Beharie Leiderdorp, Netherlands Auburn University-Montgomery
Alex Chapman Griffin, Ga. Middle Georgia State University
Kennedy McNab Bradenton, Fla. University of West Alabama
Kayleigh McQueen Suffolk, Va. Christopher Newport University (Va.)
Brooke Shavers Meansville, Ga. Martin Methodist College (Tenn.)
Isabelle Vazquez Bradenton, Fla. Martin Methodist College (Tenn.)
Morgan Gramling Marietta, Ga. Dalton State College (Ga.)
BASEBALL
Dylan High Carrollton, Ga. Kennesaw State University
Kolby Johnson Ball Ground, Ga. Kennesaw State University
Gavin Patel Moultrie, Ga. Kennesaw State University
Davis Swenson Toccoa, Ga. University of Pittsburgh
The Gordon State College Department of Athletics is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA). Gordon State College competes in NJCAA Division I in the sports of Women's Soccer (Fall), Men's Basketball (Fall/Spring), Softball (Spring) and Baseball (Spring). Gordon State College is located in Barnesville, Ga., approximately 60 miles south of Atlanta and 35 miles northwest of Macon. Gordon State College offers both two-year and four-year degree programs and believes that our Athletics program provides student-athletes with the opportunity to be successful academically, athletically and in life after their time as a Highlander. Follow GSC Athletics at www.gscathletics.com, on Facebook (@GordonStateCollege #GSCHighlandersForward), on Twitter (@GordonState) and Instagram (gordon_state).