Men's Baseball

2021 Season Preview

The Bobcats are eager and ready to get back to action this year after a 2020 season that ended abruptly due to Covid-19 and the shutdown of NJCAA sports nationwide. The 2020 baseball team was on pace to break a number of school records including the teams all time wins record. It was a team that ended the season with the top four hit leaders in the nation, eight players that moved on to four-year schools and 11 graduates with AA degrees.

The bobcats will return many key contributors this year, including four position players: Jermaine White, Jackson Ross, Diego Garcia and Matthew Coker that look to lead the Bobcats offensively. The Bobcats also return two front line pitchers who logged a number of key innings last year, Angel Caba and Hunter Booth.

“We are going to rely heavily on our returners this year to lead our team back to another World Series in Enid (Oklahoma). Their experiences last year as freshmen will only help our new players this year to get accustomed to the culture we are trying to build and maintain here at PHSC,” said Lyndon Coleman, PHSC head baseball coach.

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 10th 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
Jacob Foster

Assistant Coach

Jacob Foster is in his first year as an assistant coach for PHSC. Previously, he was the pitching coach for the Tarboro River Bandits who won the 2020 Carolina-Virginia Collegiate League Championship.

Read more about Coach Jacob Foster

Originally from Marshall, Texas, he also has experience working in various private facilities throughout the state specializing in baseball technology systems and player development operations.

In addition to his work as a coach, Foster has a background in sabermetric research. He has had multiple articles published by the popular sabermetrics website, FanGraphs, and maintains a research blog analyzing performance in the MLB and coaching applications for the amateur level.

A 2017 graduate of Texas A&M, B.B.A. in supply chain management from Mays Business School. Foster will work primarily with the Bobcat pitching staff.
Derek Kuryliw

Assistant Coach

Derek Kuryliw is entering his second year as the strength/nutritionist coordinator at Pasco-Hernando State College. Derek currently is the owner and operator of Live Fit Gym in New Port Richey, Fla., since 2010.

He was certified in 2003 through American Muscle and Fitness, an international certification. Also, he studied holistic nutrition and antioxidants at Clayton College of Natural Health, Birmingham, Ala.

Read more about Coach Derek Kuryliw

In his 17 years as a trainer/nutritionist, Kuryliw has worked with clients of all ages and skill levels including: bodybuilders, fitness/figure competitors, minor league baseball, major league baseball, arena football, wrestlers, college athletes, high school athletes, teachers and retirees.

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.

In November 2003, Kuryliw began personal training and conducting nutritional consultations in the West Palm Beach area. He returned to New Port Richey in 2006 to work for Richey Racquet and Fitness Club and Kuryliw Chiropractic Rehab Center, where he managed the clinic for seven years.

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 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.
Kyle Vesnesky

Assistant Coach

Kyle Vesnesky is entering his first year as an assistant coach for PHSC. Kyle played four years of college baseball, two at the Junior College level for Broward College and two at the Division One level for Charleston Southern University.

In 2018, Kyle graduated from Charleston Southern University with a bachelor's degree in communication. Provided with an opportunity to give back to the game, Kyle aims to share his knowledge and playing experience to help develop players at PHSC both on and off the field.