HAYWARD, Calif. - The Cal State East Bay men's golf team is headed to the national stage for the second straight year after earning a berth into the 2026 NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championships, set for May 18-22 at PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
 
The Pioneers punched their ticket to the national championship by finishing third at the NCAA Division II West/South Central Regional Tournament last week at The Reserve at Spanos Park in Stockton, California. East Bay posted rounds of 287, 288 and 289 to finish at even par (864), securing one of six qualifying spots from the regional field.
 
Cal State East Bay enters the championship after delivering one of its most complete performances of the year at regionals. The Pioneers opened the final round with immediate momentum as Cooper Groshart, Oscar Blomqvist and Peyton Hendricks each birdied the opening hole to help East Bay remain above the projected cut line throughout the day.
 
Groshart led the way for the Pioneers during the final round with a 2-under 70, finishing tied for 20th overall at 216 for the tournament. Hendricks also tied for 20th after rounds of 69, 74 and 73, while Easton Hether tied for 28th at 217 and Blomqvist finished tied for 32nd at 218. Paddy Blinderman rounded out the lineup for East Bay.
 
The NCAA Championships feature one of the deepest fields in Division II golf, with teams competing in 54 holes of stroke play across the opening three rounds. Following stroke play, the top teams will advance to medal/match play competition to determine the national champion, while an individual national champion will also be crowned.

The Pioneers advanced to the Championships for the second consecutive season with their previous appearance being in 2017.  East Bay finished 14th overall last year while Hether led the way individually, placing 11th overall. 

The championship returns to PGA National Resort, one of the premier golf venues in the country and longtime host of elite collegiate and professional events. Complete championship information, including tee times and live scoring, is available through the NCAA Championships Central page.