Men’s Baseball Team Kicks Off NJCAA DII College World Series with Community Outreach, Honors & Walk-Off Victory Over East Central

PHSC kicked off the national tournament with community outreach, honors and a key victory against East Central Community College.

On May 21, PHSC received a warm welcome from the Enid Bandits, a junior baseball team and sponsor of this year’s defending national champions.

On May 22, Head Coach Lyndon Coleman received the 2026 NJCAA DII South District Coach of the Year during the opening ceremony at David Allen Memorial Ballpark.

On May 23, the Men’s Baseball Team and several of this year’s participating teams worked together with the Miracle League organization to make the game accessible for all.

On May 24, the Bobcats started the tournament with a matchup against the #5 seed East Central Community College Warriors (46-14). Before the game began, PHSC President Eric Hall, Ed.D., and Vice President of Student Services Dennis Feltwell, Ph.D., joined the Bobcats during batting practice at the North Oklahoma College facility. 

In the early goings of the contest, starting pitcher Derek Westfall was shaky on the mound, giving up nine hits and nine runs despite producing six strikeouts.

Issac Palacios replaced Westfall in the fourth inning. Palacios threw 67 pitches and delivered five strikeouts. However, the Bobcat was unable to sustain a consistent presence with the sophomore giving up four runs in the process.

Entering in the eighth inning, Gavin Zassenbraker provided a steady performance on the mound, striking out three batters and allowing just two hits.

The offense kept the game competitive with important at-bats by Vance Celiberti, Bradon Durfee, Juan Lopez and Eduardo Morales. The Bobcats notched a combined 14 hits and eight RBIs during the late-night game.

Catcher Eduardo Morales produced a two-run home run in the bottom of the second inning. Furthermore, center fielder Bradon Durfee also had a home run with a deep shot to left field in the bottom of the fourth inning on a 2-2 delivery.

With the game tied 13-13 in the ninth inning, Eduardo Morales hit a walk-off single to secure the win, scoring Alex Rodriguez and keeping the Bobcats in the winner’s bracket with a 14-13 final.

Men’s Baseball Team Defeats #1 Seeded Kellogg, Secures Third Place Finish at the NJCAA DII World Series After Losses to South Mountain in Semi Final

The Men’s Baseball Team wrapped up the season with a third-place finish at the 2026 NJCAA DII College World Series in Enid, OK.

On May 26, PHSC faced the #1 seeded Kellogg Community College Bruins (49-8). The Men’s Baseball Team secured the victory with a 6-1 final and moved another step closer to the championship.

Pitcher Gavin Zassenbraker was instrumental in the victory over the Bruins. Zassenbraker struck out 10 batters, throwing over 141 pitches and allowing just a single run during the contest. Additionally, key at-bats by Bradon Durfee, Eduardo Morales, Vance Celiberti and others kept the offense chugging along.

On May 28, the Bobcats took on South Mountain Community College (52-18), the #8 seed in this year’s tournament. PHSC lost 21-4 in six innings.

On May 30, PHSC played in an elimination game against South Mountain Community College. The Bobcats fought valiantly until the very end, but fell short, losing the contest 8-6 and eliminating PHSC from the tournament.

Starting pitcher Gavin Gargiulo delivered three strikeouts during the contest. Notably, 49 of 84 pitches thrown by the redshirt freshman were called strikes.
Issac Palacios stepped in for Gargiulo in the top of the fifth inning after a two-run home run by Bryan Lorenz of South Mountain to make it a 2-2 game. However, the Bobcats’ offense would come roaring back. With the game tied 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth, designated hitter Juan Lopez, who returned to this year’s lineup after an injury, blasted a solo-shot home run to break the tie. Bradon Durfee produced a two-RBI single, scoring both Horatio Sanchez and Eduardo Morales. PHSC led 6-2 to entering the bottom of the sixth inning.

Palacios remained consistent on the mound, delivering five strikeouts and throwing 79 pitches. However, PHSC allowed four runs in the top of the ninth inning.
PHSC finishes the 2025-26 season with a 38-24 overall record.

Head Coach Lyndon Coleman has secured 90 wins over the past two seasons. The Bobcats now have three World Series appearances (2019, 2025 and 2026), two third-place finishes (2019 and 2026) and a national championship (2025) under coach Coleman.

 

This article was written by Robert Lischak, PHSC Athletics Student Assistant.