ENID, Okla. — For a second consecutive season, No. 2 Pearl River baseball is headed to the NJCAA Division II National Championship game.

The Wildcats punched their ticket back to the title game in dominant fashion Thursday afternoon at David Allen Memorial Ballpark, overwhelming No. 7 Iowa Central 14-4 in five innings behind 14 hits and four home runs.

"Those guys hit a lot of home runs, so that was a tough matchup," head coach Michael Avalon said. "We played hard, got around the bases and beat them in multiple ways. If we play tomorrow night, we're going to try to make the most of our chance. We will keep a chip on our shoulder and try to finish this thing off for Pearl River."

PRCC will face the winner of Pasco-Hernando and South Mountain. The teams play Thursday at 7 p.m. If PHSC wins, the Championship will be on Friday at 7 p.m. If SMCC wins Thursday's matchup, the teams will play a winner-take-all game on Friday at 7 p.m. before matching up with PRCC for the National Championship Saturday at 7 p.m.

Pearl River (49-11 overall) handed the ball to JP Abt (Brandon; Hartfield Academy) against Iowa Central (53-12), and the freshman right-hander battled through early traffic to keep the Tritons off the board. After allowing two quick baserunners in the opening frame, Abt settled in and punched out back-to-back batters before escaping a bases-loaded jam with a flyout.

The Wildcats rewarded him immediately.

Gatlin Pitts (Fairhope; Bayside Academy) worked a leadoff walk in the bottom half and advanced to second on a Jackson Estes (Madison; Germantown) single. Coy Clements (Hattiesburg; Oak Grove) moved both runners into scoring position with a groundout before Jackson Hood (Madison; Germantown) pushed across the game's first run with an RBI fielder's choice.

PRCC's offense only continued to build momentum in the second.

Chap Cook (Canton; Canton Academy) opened the inning by working himself into a hitter's count before unloading on a pitch and driving it 384 feet over the wall in left field for a solo home run, stretching the lead to 2-0. Moments later, Kyler King (Picayune) wore a pitch and swiped second to set the table once again for Pitts, who ripped a line drive through the left side to plate another run and make it 3-0.

Abt answered with a third consecutive scoreless inning, and the Wildcats went right back to work.

A Clements single and Hood walk placed two runners aboard for Cook, who floated a two-run single into left field to extend the lead. Pearl River continued to pour it on moments later when Jackson Beddoe (Sulphur, La.) ripped a two-run double down the left field line and into the corner, pushing the advantage to 7-0.

Then came the home run barrage.

Estes capped an eight-pitch at-bat in the fourth inning by hammering a hanging breaking ball over the wall for a solo shot. Two batters later, Hood crushed another breaking pitch deep over the wall in left-center for a two-run blast, and Nico Williams (Gulfport) followed shortly after with a towering homer of his own to left-center as Pearl River's dugout erupted once again. By the end of the inning, the Wildcats held an 11-0 lead and complete control of the game.

Iowa Central showed some life in the fifth with a pair of home runs to avoid the shutout, but Pearl River quickly slammed the door in the bottom half.

With Pitts and Estes aboard, Clements sliced an RBI single into right field before Hood added another run with an RBI fielder's choice. The Wildcats later loaded the bases for Cook, who worked a walk to force in the game-ending run and complete the 14-4 run-rule victory.

Abt improved to 7-0 on the season after tossing five innings of four-run baseball. The right-hander scattered six hits and three walks while striking out four.

Every Wildcat in the lineup recorded a hit in the win, led by Cook and Clements with three apiece. Hood and Cook each drove in four runs, while Beddoe added two RBIs. Hood also crossed the plate three times.

"Chap needed that day and this team needed him to have that kind of day," Avalon said. "He helped get us here and for us to go win this thing he has to help us."

TUNE IN
The entire 2026 NJCAA Division II Baseball World Series will be streamed live on the NJCAA Network. A day pass costs $12, a tournament pass is available for $35 and an all-access pass costs $100.

Games will also be available over the air in Pearl River County by tuning into 1320-AM and 106.9 FM. The radio broadcast is also available at WRJWRadio.com and by downloading the WRJW app.

For the latest on Pearl River Community College athletics, follow us on X (@PRCCAthletics) and Facebook (PRCCAthletics).