2026 35+ American
Oakland Oaks 9, Yeti Baseball Club 2
Submitted by Craig Bevan, manager
After four glorious days of baseball, warm, sunny days, great fields, and stiff competition, the 35+ Oakland Oaks were finally able to hoist the American Division trophy in the 2026 Desert Classic in Palm Springs.
In the first game, facing a formidable Roadkill squad, with their hard-throwing, lefty ace on the mound at Palm Springs Stadium, the Oaks countered with their own stalwart lefty in Jake Mangett, who threw an 11-strikeout, complete game, 6-3 victory to kickstart the tournament for the Oaks.
Scott Strickland got the start Saturday against the San Diego Aztecs, who were brimming with talent, including ex- MLB star Joel Zumaya, and Strickland pitched two shutdown, courageous innings before the Aztecs’ bats finally took over, and put the game out of reach.
Desperately needing a win on Sunday, and facing the undefeated, defending PS champion San Diego Knights, who came into this game having scored 30 runs in their first two games, Mike Newsted took the hill for the Oaks and spun an absolute gem, throwing a complete game, 7-0 shutout, striking out five, and giving up only three hits to a powerhouse lineup.
With that victory, the Oaks secured the number one seed on Monday in the American League Division, earning the right to face the scrappy Santa Barbara Waves in a semi-final matchup. The Oaks sent Kellen Dammann to the hill, and he continued the team’s amazing starting pitching, gritting through a bleeding, torn blister to go nine innings, allowing zero earned runs, striking out seven, and putting the Oaks in the championship game, 9-1.
For the finale, the Oaks turned once again to Jake Mangett, who battled against a tough, battle-tested Yeti squad. In a tight, well-played finale, Jake fought through fatigue to throw yet another complete game, scattering five hits, striking out seven, and allowing only one earned run, to secure the first championship for the Oaks, 9-2.
This was a true team victory, with defense and hitting complementing the incredible pitching staff. The infield was anchored by Dan McGheehan at third, Skylar James at short, Javi Montalbo at second, and Chris Guerisoli at first. Ryan Johnson and Alque Ryans used their talents to play key super utility roles.
Catcher John Nolan called upon his athleticism and honed instincts to guide the pitching staff to the championship game, while Adam Block stepped up to call the championship game behind the dish.
The Oaks outfield was manned by a host of players, from Kellen Dammen, Alque Ryans, Adam Block, Jake Mangett, and two equally inspiring players in Randy Montenegro and Tobias White. Randy was playing on a torn meniscus, and Tobias played through a recent high ankle sprain, both making key plays and giving all they had to gut out each win.
Tobias also led the team in hitting, delivering clutch RBI’s and hitting bombs in the gaps, batting .615 for the tourney, with a whopping 1.345 OPS. Chris Guerisoli added rockets of his own, nearly leaving the yard in one game, and lining base hits and doubles consistently.
In short, this was a hard-fought, well-earned trophy for the Oaks against some of the best teams in the West. The Oaks look forward to returning to Palm Springs next year, and thank MSBL and their fellow teams for great camaraderie and a fun and very competitive tourney!