The 34-year-old Gantt, also head coach at Catawba College, replaces the retired Jim DeHart, who coached Rowan to 11 straight winning seasons from 1990 through 2000.

Gantt, a native of Newton, has been involved with the Catawba baseball program since he entered the college in the fall of 1984 after starring at Newton-Conover High School.

A third baseman, Gantt redshirted one year then played four seasons under DeHart. He was named all-Carolinas Conference in 1988, when the Indians went 27-8 and won the CC title. Gantt hit .322 with a .482 on-base percentage. He had a .297 career batting average. Gantt struck out only 28 times in 330 career at-bats.

Gantt graduated in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree in sports management. He was then an assistant five years under the late Dick Williams and two years under David Jones.

Gantt is starting his fifth year as Catawba’s head coach. His teams have gone 32-19, 22-20, 27-18 and 31-21 for a career mark of 113-77. The Indians just missed their first South Atlantic Conference championship last spring, finishing third — a half-game back of first-place Wingate. Carson-Newman edged the Indians by percentage points for second.

Gantt joined DeHart’s AmericanLegion staff in 1990 and coached with DeHart until the two had a disagreement during the past season. Gantt was dismissed by DeHart, who later said Gantt should be the man to replace him as head coach.

Rowan’s records in those 11 seasons were impressive: 21-11, 30-11, 33-9, 47-18, 35-10, 29-11, 41-8, 31-9, 42-8-1, 27-12 and 32-13.

The 1993 Rowan team that went 47-18 won the state championship, the fifth in the history of the program.

Rowan’s 1996 club advanced to the Legion World Series in Roseburg, Ore., finishing fourth in the nation.