2026 35+ National

SoCal Jaxx 11, San Diego Aztecs 9

‘Ironman Gilligan Lead the Way on the Bump’

Submitted by Normann Deuss

Toughness, resiliency, and above all, teamwork, were on display for the SoCal Jaxx, managed by Joey Diaz, during the 2026 Desert Classic. A humbling loss in Game One, to a talented SoCal Titans team, forced the Jaxx to refocus and come together as a team if they planned to advance in the tourney.

An impressive start on the mound by Michael Gilligan, which would become a trend, coupled with an offensive explosion, and a dominant relief appearance by Alex Garcia, led to a 28-3 win in Game Two. That was just what the Jaxx needed to get back on track.

The Jaxx knew it was win or go home from that point on, and ‘Jobs not done’ became the mantra. Game Three pitted the Jaxx against the hard-hitting Yeti Baseball Club. Starting pitcher Mike Steele kept the Yeti off balance all game with a hard biting curveball. That and multi-hit games from Guy Lopez and Armont Prudhomme propelled the Jaxx to an 8-1 win and into the playoffs.

Sunday night’s game saw Michael Gilligan making his second start in two days. He and battery mate, John Schnettgoecke, kept the Rays offense under control with a little help from slick fielding shortstop Chad Blackwell. Offensively, the whole Jaxx lineup contributed with big RBIs from Gabe Sandoval and Dave ‘Peachy’ Cannon. The Jaxx took the win 14-4 and were heading on to Monday, chanting, ‘Jobs not done’.

For game five, the Jaxx sent out Carlos Villanueva to face the Tucson White Sox. Villanueva’s fastball overpowered the White Sox, and the Jaxx offense sprayed hits all over the field, leading to a dominant 9-0 win. The Jaxx were off to the championship game, still chanting ‘Jobs not done’.

Michael Gilligan was making his third start in as many days for the Jaxx against what many thought was one of the tournament’s favorites, the San Diego Aztecs. The Aztecs rostered a team with former MLB players and minor leaguers.

Gilligan was up to the task. With command of all of his pitches, he kept a great team at bay, and gave the scrappy Jaxx a chance to fight back from a 3-run deficit. Clutch hits by Mike Steele and Gabe Sandoval gave the Jaxx the lead. The Aztecs gave all they could in a ninth-inning rally, but it wasn’t enough as Chad Blackwell closed the door in an 11-9 championship win for the Jaxx.

A bunch of regular old guys played tough, hard-nosed, team baseball to win it all. The chat changed after that win, “THE JOB IS DONE!”