NEW PORT RICHEY — Pasco-Hernando State College was well-prepared for the adversity it faced in the Division II College World Series. Down a game and having to climb out of the loser’s bracket the Bobcats knew full well what they were facing.

It was the same scenario PHSC found itself in during the Southeast District tournament. The Bobcats won that title with six straight victories after losing the first game of that series. They didn’t quite pull of a repeat performance, however, settling for a 4-2 record and bowing out in the semifinals of the May 25-31 series in Oklahoma.

Afterward, athletic director Steve Winterling, PHSC’s former baseball coach who oversaw the 2014 team that placed fourth in the D-II College World Series, compared the two squads.

“That 2014 team just always believed in themselves,” he said. “They got along all year. This year’s team is just a bunch of hard-nosed guys. They really just came out on fire at the right time.”

PHSC’s improbable run in the district tourney followed a 13-8 loss to host Pitt Community College (N.C.). The first of six straight wins was the closest and perhaps most rewarding game as the third-seeded Bobcats edged Wake Technical CC (N.C.) 7-6 in 10 innings.

Coming out of the loser’s bracket PHSC had to beat Brunswick CC (N.C.) twice for the title and they did with 5-2 and 6-1 wins. The Bobcats, who avenged their loss to Pitt with an 8-0 shutout before taking on Brunswick twice, now head to Enid, Okla. for D-II College World Series, May 25-31.

“We had nothing to lose. We were just riding some momentum,” said first-year coach Lyndon Coleman, a former PHSC ballplayer (2009-10).

PHSC, which finished 35-25 overall to come within two wins of the school record, opened the series in Oklahoma with a close 11-10 win over Lakawanna (Penn.). An 8-4 loss to top seed Pearl River (Miss.) followed with the Bobcats winning the rematch 13-12 after a 5-4 win over Kellog (Mich.). A 12-11 win against Northern Oklahoma preceded a 15-6 loss to that same team, which eliminated the Bobcats. - By Steve Lee