Griffins aiming for postseason success

CCCAA BASEBALL REGIONAL PLAYOFFS PREVIEW

EastCountySports.com

Regular season play has concluded, and the 2026 CCCAA (3C2A) Baseball Regional field is set, with 48 teams placed across eight Southern California and eight Northern California sites.

The postseason opens May 1–3 with a three-team, double-elimination format, where the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds meet Friday at 11 a.m., followed by the No. 1 seed entering at 3 p.m. — a structure that immediately puts pressure on the middle seeds to survive early.

Grossmont College enters as the No. 2 seed in the Allan Hancock regional, alongside No. 1 Allan Hancock and No. 3 Cuesta.

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GROSSMONT SEASON SNAPSHOT

Grossmont (25-15 overall, 17-8 PCAC) built one of the more balanced profiles in Southern California. The Griffins finished second in conference play behind Palomar but bring a postseason-ready combination of offense and experience:

• .625 overall winning percentage
• 15-4 at home
• 7-3 in last 10 games

This is a team built on consistent production rather than streaks — a key trait in a condensed playoff format.

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OFFENSIVE PROFILE: HIGH-END PRODUCTION

Grossmont’s lineup ranks among the most productive in the PCAC, led by sophomore Justin Heffler, one of the top hitters in the state:

• .428 AVG / .527 OBP / .767 SLG
• 11 HR, 45 RBI, 18 SB
• Among conference leaders in multiple categories

He’s backed by a deep core:

• Owen Rodgers (.370)
• Druw Frost (.356, 8 HR)
• Anthony Thomas (9 HR, 45 RBI)
• Talon Tucker (43 RBI)

The Griffins’ ability to create big innings makes them one of the more dangerous offensive teams in the regional field.

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PITCHING LEADERS: COMPETING WITH THE TOP ARMS

Across the PCAC, the top pitching numbers are concentrated among Palomar and San Diego Mesa, with multiple sub-4.00 ERAs and high strikeout totals. San Diego City’s A. Kuei leads the conference with 86 strikeouts, while Mesa’s F. Royer (3.59 ERA) and Palomar’s R. Herrod (3.75 ERA) headline the ERA leaderboard.

Grossmont’s top arms still stack up in key areas:

• Destin Allen-Fox (LHP)
  • 4.04 ERA (Top 5 in PCAC)
  • 68 strikeouts (2nd in conference)
  • 14.46 K/9 — elite swing-and-miss rate
• Rowan Haynes
  • 6 wins (Top 3 in PCAC)
  • Reliable innings provider in a starter role
• Logan Prigmore
  • 3 saves (Top 5 in PCAC)
  • Late-game bullpen option

The difference is depth — Grossmont has frontline capability, but not the same volume of top-end arms as the conference’s top seeds. That places added importance on early-round pitching performance.

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THE REGIONAL PATH

The Allan Hancock regional shapes up as a tightly contested bracket:

• No. 1 Allan Hancock (host)
• No. 2 Grossmont
• No. 3 Cuesta

The format is unforgiving:

• Lose once → immediate elimination pressure
• Win early → control of the bracket

For Grossmont, the opener is critical — a win likely sets up a direct path against Hancock with momentum, while a loss forces multiple elimination games.

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WHAT’S NEXT: ROAD TO THE TITLE

Teams advancing from regional play move into a clearly defined postseason ladder:

• Super Regionals: May 7–9
• Regional Finals: May 15–17
• 3C2A State Championships: May 23–25 at Great Park in Irvine

Only two teams from each region advance to the state championship stage, making survival through the regional weekend the first major hurdle.

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FINAL TAKE

Grossmont has the offensive firepower to compete with any team in the field, and a frontline arm in Allen-Fox capable of matching the region’s best.

The equation is simple:

• Win the opener
• Get quality innings from Haynes
• Hold late leads

If that formula hits, Grossmont has a legitimate path not just out of the regional — but deeper into May.

And for East County, that would mark one of the program’s most significant postseason runs in recent years.

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