No. 3 Comets clinch fifth straight PCAC title, sweep Imperial Valley doubleheader 19-3 and 30-6

SAN MARCOS, CA (4/16/2026) -- If there was any doubt about where No. 3 Palomar College stands right now, Thursday afternoon at Bob Vetter Field answered it emphatically. The Comets swept a doubleheader against Imperial Valley College, winning the opener 19-3 and the nightcap 30-6, clinching the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Championship in the process and outscoring the Desert Warriors 49-9 across 14 innings. Palomar improved to 31-4 overall and 20-1 in the PCAC.

The championship is the program's fifth consecutive PCAC title. 

Game one was over early. Ryan Herrod worked 5.1 innings to earn his eighth win of the season, and the offense wasted no time. Braedon Peterson-Cheek homered twice and drove in three, Michael Rodda went 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBI, and Elijah Stephens added a home run and three RBI. Justin Tucker delivered a four-RBI day with a sacrifice and a double, and Rainn McMillan went 3-for-5 with two RBI. Cody Cappelletti closed things out with two scoreless innings in relief.

Game two was something else entirely. Palomar sent 58 batters to the plate and scored 30 runs across six innings in one of the most prolific offensive performances in program recent memory. Twelve different Comets drove in at least one run. Gavin Garrison went 5-for-5 with two RBI, Adrian Macias went 3-for-4 with four RBI and a home run, and Rodda again homered twice and finished with six RBI. Stephens added four more RBI, AJ Klubeck drove in four, and Cody Cappelletti came off the bench to go 2-for-2 with five RBI. Joey Halter earned the win in relief, improving to 4-0.

The bullpen held up through both games, with Jordan Green, Halter, Peyton Perry, Nate Moloney, and Blake Gordon combining to allow just two runs over four innings in the nightcap after Green gave up four in the first three frames.

Imperial Valley fell to 9-26 overall and 3-18 in the PCAC.

The Comets travel to El Centro on Saturday to wrap up the series against the Desert Warriors, with first pitch at 1 p.m.