History has been made at Kennedy High School as the Cougars captured the Nassau County Class AA Baseball Championship for the first time in program history. 

After four trips to the county finals over the last 11 years and three consecutive appearances in the championship series, Kennedy finally broke through to secure the county title with a three-game series victory over Garden City High School. 

The Cougars opened the series with a 12-inning victory in Game 1. 

Senior Dylan Babek pitched nine innings, while Max Goodman provided two innings of relief to help preserve the win. Despite a strong offensive effort in Game 2, Kennedy fell by a score of 13-10, setting up a decisive Game 3. 

On Sunday, the defeated Garden City, 4-3 to claim the championship. Junior Derek Yormack pitched a complete game and recorded 14 strikeouts to secure the victory. 

Under the leadership of head coaches Mike Gattus and Steve Costello, the Cougars have established themselves as one of Nassau County's premier baseball programs, culminating in this historic championship season. 

"This championship is the result of years of dedication, perseverance and hard work by our players, coaches and program," said Gattus. "To achieve this milestone with such an outstanding group of student-athletes is incredibly rewarding." 

The Cougars now advance to the Long Island Championship, where they will face Hauppauge High School on Saturday, June 6, at 3:30 p.m. at Farmingdale State College. A victory would earn Kennedy a berth in the New York State Semifinals at Mirabito Stadium in Binghamton, NY on June 12. 

Derek Yormack was also recently named the 2025-26 Gatorade New York Baseball Player of the Year, one of the most prestigious honors in high school athletics. 

Presented annually to the nation's top high school athletes, the Gatorade Player of the Year award recognizes ‘excellence in athletics, academics and community involvement.’ Yormack becomes New York's top baseball player after leading Kennedy to a 19-4 record and a berth in the county championship series. 

The county championship was a true team accomplishment, with contributions throughout the roster from: John Pizzirusso, Sal Trotta, Zack Mezrahi, Liam Delmore, Jake Greco, Frankie Stella, Derek Yormack, Zach Adelstein, Anthony Provvisiero, Max Goodman, Dylan Babek, Aiden Miller, Leo Alesia, David Scher, Ethan Mann, Alex Demas, Derek Fong, Ben Grabov, Zach Migdal, Jake Burlock, Evan Garces, Ryan Yormack, Matt Tolipano, Dan LaForest, Spencer Bashian, Stel Pappas, and student manager Tyler Weiner.