EOSC Baseball Claims Region 2 Title, Advances in Postseason

WILBURTON, Oklahoma –  Eastern Oklahoma State College is headed to the South Central District Championship after capturing the NJCAA Region 2 Baseball Tournament title this past weekend in Seminole, Okla.

The Mountaineers posted a 3-1 record in the tournament, including two key victories over Connors State College, to clinch their first regional championship since 2022. With the title, Eastern improved to 29-24 on the season and earned a spot in a best-of-three series against Mineral Area College, set to begin Thursday, May 15, at 2 p.m. in Park Hills, Mo. The winner will advance to the NJCAA World Series.

Sophomore pitcher Grayson Connell played a pivotal role in Eastern's run, delivering two standout performances against Connors State. Over 13 1/3 innings, Connell allowed just two earned runs while striking out 12 and walking four.

"Only winning 13 games last year with six of them being in conference was the motivation to work hard to come back to try to win the region tournament," Connell said. "We had a lot of players return from last year's team and that made winning this regional special. We went out and showed that we wanted it the most."

Second-year head coach Dru Sebastian credited his team's toughness and resilience throughout the season and postseason.

"This team has been battle tested from opening day through this regional tournament," Sebastian said. "They have been in close games and in every situation imaginable. They have learned how to win close games and thrive in big moments."

Eastern's Region 2 Championship marks a major milestone in Sebastian's rebuilding efforts, as the program looks to make its first appearance at the NJCAA World Series in 24 years.

"I am proud of this sophomore class for the adversity they have gone through," Sebastian said. "We have added some key pieces to a roster that was hungry for success. This team has worked hard on and off the field to compete in big games at the end of the season. All of their success has been earned by learning from past failure, and cannot have been accomplished without their mental and physical fortitude."