Men's Baseball

The Bobcats look to continue their success in 2021-22 by returning 5 positional starters in Adam Berry, Kyle Murphy, Jackson Burke, Diego Garcia, and Nick Plaistead. Bobcats will also be returning 6 pitchers that logged a total of 245.2 innings in Cameron Kenny, Justin Clark, Hunter Booth, Alex Dominguez, Brandon Gielow, and Jermey Goins.

PHSC Men's Baseball Program History

In 1992, PHSC's men's baseball started competing in the Suncoast Conference as a NJCAA Division I program. In just the third year of the program, PHSC finished runner-up in the 1994 FCCAA state tournament. Other state tournament appearances were in 1995 and 1997. Also in 1995, the team won the Suncoast Conference championship.

In 2010, the athletics program switched to Division II status. Since then, the men's baseball team has appeared in the NJCAA Region 10 District Tournament in North Carolina seven times. In 2014, we were NJCAA Region 10 Champions and advanced to the World Series finishing fourth nationally. We are proud to have had over 30 players sign professional contracts; many have gone on to top universities throughout the country. Most recently, Tyler Beck ('17) was selected in the 2019 MLB Draft; he goes to Minnesota Twins in 30th round.

Baseball Coaching Staff

Lyndon Coleman

Head Coach

colemal@phsc.edu

727-816-3156

Lyndon Coleman begins his second season as head coach with his eyes on leading the Bobcats back to the World Series. In his first year as head coach, Coleman led his 2018-2019 team to a third place finish in Enid, Oklahoma at the NJCAA Division II World Series. His first year as head coach also led him to the honor of being named NJCAA D2 Southeast District Coach of the Year and American Baseball Coaches Association/Diamond NJCAA D2 District 10 Coach of the Year.

Read more about Coach Coleman

Previously, Coleman had served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for three years prior to his head coach appointment. During Coleman’s tenure, PHSC has a 93-50-1 record with two NJCAA Dll Region 8 championships and trips to the NJCAA Dll Southeast District Tournament. In 2018 PHSC recorded one of the best seasons in program history winning 36 games and moving on to the NJCAA regional tournament in North Carolina. Coleman helped move 11 players to four-year schools including (4) D-1 players, most notably Ryan Russell (High Point University) and Caleb Walls (University of Maryland).

Coleman started his college baseball career at Pasco-Hernando State College. Coleman hit .314 in 2009 and was a key player in setting a school record with 37 wins. Coleman hit .353 in 2010 and was All-Suncoast Conference. Coleman finished the last two years of his college career at Barry University in Miami, Florida. In 2011, the Bucs went 20-4 and won the Sunshine State Conference. In the summer of 2011, he played for the Covington Lumberjacks in the Valley Baseball League where he finished the season hitting .343 which was third best in the league. Covington also won the Valley Baseball League championship that summer. Coleman graduated from Barry University in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education and a minor in coaching. Coleman has since graduated from Capella University with a masters in sport psychology.

Lyndon Coleman has gained the reputation for developing quality baseball players on and off the field during his six years of coaching college and summer collegiate baseball. Prior to taking over at PHSC, Coleman coached in two of the most historic summer collegiate summer leagues. the Valley Baseball League and the New England Collegiate Baseball League. During his time with the Winchester Royals he acted as the pitching coach for the first season and the head coach, pitching coach, and recruiting coordinator for the next two seasons. Coleman led Winchester to two consecutive playoff appearances and went 43-41 overall as the head coach. In 2016, the Royals pitching staff had a 4.44 ERA, which was fifth best in the league. They also dominated the league in stolen bases with 120 in 42 games, leading the league by nearly 40, and finishing nationally in the top five for summer collegiate baseball. In 2017, The Royals finished third in the league for ERA at 4.36 and stolen bases at 86. Coleman’s teams finished in the top half of the league in almost every other offensive category both seasons. In the summer of 2018, Coleman was the manager of the Keene Swampbats in the NECBL where they posted a record of 24-20. That year Keene made the playoffs and set a league record for strike outs as a pitching staff and finished leading the league in stolen bases (111), 5 stolen bases shy of the league record. The stolen bases were good for a top 5 national ranking in summer collegiate baseball. Coleman coached the MVP of the NECBL and new single season RBI record holder Brandon Smith. Coleman sent eight players to the All-Star game and also coached the NECBL Homerun Derby Champion Lorenzo Hampton.

Coleman started his coaching career in 2013 at Barry University in Miami, Florida under then Head Coach Marc Pavao. Coleman acted as the catching coach during his two seasons with the Bucs, Both catchers that he mentored signed to play professional baseball. In 2015, Coleman was an infield coach under head coach Ryan Beckman at St. Petersburg College in Clearwater before coaching under Steve Winterling for three years. Coleman has coached 17 players that have gone on to play professional baseball and many others who have played in independent leagues. Tyler Kinley with the Miami Marlins and Josh James with the Houston Astros are two of Coleman's former players that moved on to the Major leagues.
Larry Beets

Assistant Coach

“I would like to thank my former coaches who influenced a worthwhile profession, players, administrators, teachers and parents who were all part of the process.” ~Larry Beets

Larry Beets begins his 11th season with the Bobcats as a men's baseball assistant coach. In the nine years he has been the assistant coach the Bobcats have had eight winning seasons with two trips to the NJCAA Division 2 World Series which includes a 2014 fourth place finish and a 2019 third place finish.

Learn more about Coach Larry Beets

Prior to PHSC, Beets was a high school head baseball coach in Pasco County for 33 years. Three years at Gulf High School, two years at Hudson High School and 28 years at Ridgewood High School. In 2002, he led his Ridgewood team to defeat number one ranked Dunedin High School in the semi-finals of the 4-A State Championship, before falling to Jacksonville Bishop Kinney in the finals.

Beets, upon retirement, made Pasco County history as the high school coach with the most wins. He had 565 victories and was the first to record 500 wins. In 2007, Ridgewood High School named its baseball field after Beets, in recognition of his great accomplishments.

He grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee where he lettered in four sports before signing a baseball scholarship to Division 1 Austin Peay State University (Governors) in Clarksville, Tenn. In 1971, The Governors won their first Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Baseball Championship, which ironically was the first OVC title in any sport. His last two years he had the honor of being co-captain.

Beets focuses on building positive relationships and the development of young men into society. He was fortunate to send over 100 players to extend their academics through baseball. In addition, he has been associated with seven former players drafted and signed to Major League Baseball contracts. One player, Mike Rabelo, played Major Leagues and is now coaching the Major Leagues as the assistant hitting instructor for the Pittsburg Pirates
Chris Holke

Assistant Coach

Chris Holke returns to the Pasco-Hernando State College coaching staff for the upcoming 2021-2022 season. This will be his 3rd stint as an assistant coach under Head Coach Lyndon Coleman. Previously, he served as a PHSC assistant baseball coach at for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. In 2019, Holke assisted PHSC to a third place finish at the NJCAA DII College World Series in Enid, Oklahoma.

Prior to this season, Holke was the assistant baseball coach at Cypress Creek High School. He assisted Head Coach Joe Neale in leading the Coyotes to a 20-6 record and a Sunshine Athletic Conference Championship.

Before his time at PHSC, Holke coached two seasons at Catawba College under legendary Head Coach Jim Gantt. At Catawba, he served the program as the catching coach and assisted with hitters and outfielders in addition to helping with recruiting efforts. Catawba won back-to-back South Atlantic Conference titles and were the NCAA Southeast DII regional runner-up in 2017.

From 2017-18, Holke coached with the Eau Claire Express in the Northwoods League. He served as the third base coach/recruiting coordinator under Manager Dale Varsho. In 2017, the Express won the Second Half Northwoods League North Division and led the Northwoods League in stolen bases.

From 2011-15, Holke was an assistant coach with the Barrington Post 158 American Legion Team. During his time as an assistant coach, the team won the Illinois American Legion State Championship in 2014.

Holke started his collegiate coaching career in 2014 at Rockford University in Rockford, Illinois under Head Coach Bob Koopmann. Holke served the program as the catching coach and assisted with the hitters as well as recruiting efforts.

A native of Barrington, Ill., Holke played collegiately at Harper College, where he was a two-time NJCAA N4C All-Conference performer and a second team Region IV All-Regional pick in 2011. In 2012, he spent one season at North Dakota State University and finished his playing career as a catcher at Rockford University in 2014. Holke graduated Cum Laude from Rockford University in 2014 with bachelor’s degrees in history and political science. He completed his Master of Arts in Teaching from Rockford in 2016. He resides in New Port Richey, Florida.
Derek Kuryliw

Assistant Coach

Derek Kuryliw enters his third year as the strength/nutritionist coordinator at Pasco-Hernando State College. Kuryliw currently is the owner and operator of Live Fit Gym in New Port Richey, Fla., since 2011. In 2011, he started what would eventually evolve into LiveFit Bootcamps. The original outdoor bootcamp location with a handful of clients has grown into more than 200 motivated and hard working women, men, moms, dads and grandparents. Over 3,500 clients have trained with Kuryliw and the LiveFit team, since 2011.

Read more about Coach Derek Kuryliw

In 2010, he was nominated for the Tampa Bay Business Journal “Health Care Heroes” award for top community educators for his public speaking and volunteer work. Kuryliw is frequently requested to speak at businesses, schools, clubs, association meetings and gyms. His topics vary from “7 Steps to Peak Energy” to “Exercise IS Medicine” to "Nutrition Basics to Burn, Build and Recover Faster".

In 2003, he was certified through American Muscle and Fitness, an international certification. Kuryliw began personal training and conducting nutritional consultations in the West Palm Beach area. In 2006, he returned to New Port Richey to work as a personal trainer for Richey Racquet and Fitness Club and Kuryliw Chiropractic Rehab Center, where he managed the clinic for seven years.

In 2001, Kuryliw was named "Athlete of the Year" by the Tampa Bay Tribune and St. Petersburg Times for his senior baseball season at Ridgewood High School. After high school, he went on to play at Pasco-Hernando Community College. Two injury-plagued seasons (shoulder surgery and a broken femur) led him to hang up his spikes and in 2003, he continued his education at Florida Atlantic University pursuing a bachelor's degree in biological science.
Kyle Vesnesky

Assistant Coach

Kyle Vesnesky rejoins the Bobcats for a second year with one goal in mind; Enid, Oklahoma and the site of the DII Junior College National Championship. With a year under his belt, Vesnesky is driven to continue the development of returning sophomores and cultivate the Bobcat culture with our newcomers. He embodies the mentality and work ethic of the Bobcat culture and seeks to pass on the knowledge and experience he has gained through baseball and life. With four years of playing college baseball, two at the Junior College level (Broward College) and two at the Division 1 level (Charleston Southern University), and one year of coaching, Vesnesky aims to develop players both on and off the field to mold them into the most successful men they can be through accountability, discipline and motivation.