Cougars Rally Past Garrett to Clinch Region 20 Title and World Series Berth

Frederick Community College Cougars defeated Garrett College 9–3 in Game 6 of the 2026 NJCAA Division II Region 20 Championship Tournament to secure its 11th trip to the NJCAA Division II World Series. The Cougars relied on timely hitting, patient at-bats, and strong pitching to pull away and punch their ticket to Enid, Oklahoma.

Garrett struck first in the opening inning, briefly silencing the home crowd when Noah Broadwater laced an RBI single to give the Lakers a 1–0 lead. Frederick quickly responded as Andrew Varga and Luis Perez Alfaro sparked a two-run first inning, with Perez Alfaro's RBI single tying the game before Casey Westerberg delivered a go-ahead hit through the left side to make it 2–1. The Cougars kept pressing in the second inning when Jaxson Wood scored on an outfield error.

Frederick continued to build momentum in the third inning with extra-base power and situational hitting. Braydon Kelman doubled into the gap to bring home Westerberg, and Jack Clarke followed with an RBI single to extend the lead to 5–1. The Cougars' lineup consistently put the ball in play, finishing the game with 12 hits and just one strikeout.

On the mound, Colin Milligan delivered a steady and composed outing, limiting Garrett to just two hits over 6.2 innings while working around six walks, striking out three, and allowing only one earned run. Milligan effectively kept the Lakers off balance and prevented any sustained innings that could shift momentum.

Frederick broke the game open in the sixth inning with another rally fueled by Varga and Perez Alfaro. Varga ripped his second double of the day to drive in a run, and Perez Alfaro added a sacrifice fly to push the score to 7–1. Garrett tried to claw back in the eighth, capitalizing on a pair of Cougar miscues to score two unearned runs and cut the deficit to 7–3. However, Frederick immediately answered in the bottom half of the inning, as Perez Alfaro delivered the knockout blow with a two-run single, bringing his RBI total to four on the day and sealing the 9–3 victory.

Several Cougars turned in standout performances in the championship clincher. Westerberg led the offense with three hits and an RBI, while Varga scored twice, drove in a run, and added two doubles and two stolen bases. Kelman chipped in with a pair of hits and a key RBI double, and Wood scored twice at the top of the lineup. Perez Alfaro's four-RBI effort proved to be the difference-maker, anchoring a lineup that consistently delivered in run-scoring situations.

Out of the bullpen, Matthew Calabrese navigated a brief but challenging eighth inning, and Ethan Duff closed things out over the final 1.1 innings to secure the win and earn the save, striking out two and allowing no runs. Ethan Duff, Cole Swinimer, Colin Milligan, and Casey Westerberg were selected to the All-Tournament Team.

With the Region 20 championship secured on their home field, Frederick Community College now turns its attention to the national stage. The Cougars will await seeding and matchups as they prepare for the 2026 NJCAA Division II World Series, set for May 23–30 at David Allen Memorial Ballpark in Enid, Oklahoma. For a program with a rich postseason tradition, this marks its 11th appearance at the World Series.