Two Playoff Wins, But 2023 Season Comes to an End in Albany

Albany, OR – First year head coach Keith Hessler knew that the 2023 season, would be a grind and the 20-game non-conference schedule was set up to test the resolve of this year's team against traditional NWAC powerhouses.  In fact, of the six schools, the Trojans played, five made the playoffs as either #1 or #2 seeds of their respective regions and Wenatchee Valley who did not make the playoffs just missed out via a tiebreaker and still went on to win 23 games. 

After a 9-11 start, injuries began to play a huge factor, particular with the pitching rotation.  Everett went 5-5 through the first 10 north region games and hit a mid-season lull before winning 6 of the last 7 to clinch the #4 seed out of the north. 

Their placing in the north standings meant that Everett would have to travel to Albany, OR where the Trojans would face Walla Walla in a loser out game, with the winner advancing to face #2 South seed Lane CC in a best of three series.   

Walla Walla got the first run of the game in the bottom of the first, but starting pitcher Mason Devinney settled in for Everett going three scoreless innings after that, and only giving up one more hit, while striking out 4.  Nationally ranked Coastal Carolina University commit, Elias Holbert came in to pitch in the fifth inning, and proceeded to shutout the Warriors while also striking out 4 and giving up just a pair of singles. 

The offense mustered three runs through 7 innings, but really slammed the door shut by scoring four in the 8^th and another in the 9^th to seal the 8-1 victory and advance to face Lane.  Freshman Max Paterson had a big game with a double and a triple, while driving in two runs and also scoring two runs.  Another freshman, Jonah Shull blasted the go-ahead home run in the 7^th, and finished the game with 3 RBI's. 

In the game one against Lane, Everett held onto a 3-1 lead through the top of the 5^th, highlighted by a Ryan Jeffrey home run and Sheehan O'Connor's RBI triple.  Lane got things rolling in the bottom of the 5^th plating three and taking back a one run lead.  To that point starting pitcher Ethan Hubbell was throwing a nice game with just the one run on three hits. 

Ryan Jeffrey kept the hot bat going with an RBI double to tie the game back up, but Lane got the eventual winning run in the 8^th inning and the Trojans went down 5-4.

EvCC bounced back the 2^nd day in game two of the series with a convincing 6-1 win.  Hunter Bennett got the start and threw 4 shutout innings, giving up 2 hits and striking out 8.  Braeden Terry, Ryan Jeffrey, and Ryan Contreras each came up with doubles, with two RBI's from Terry, two from Jeffrey, and SAC fly RBI's from Jonah Shull and Carson Burns.  Davis Buckner picked up the win coming in to pitch in the 5^th inning and gave up 2 hits, no runs, and struck out five.

The final game of the series came down to pitching depth, which Lane had and the Trojans lacked.  Lane put up the first 6 runs of the ball game through 3 innings, and the Trojans were never able to recover, despite coming up with 11 hits.  Lane ended the Trojan season with a 10-3 win and advanced to Longview to be among the NWAC final 8 teams. 

While every season starts with sites set on an NWAC Championship, the program ended the 2023 campaign with several positives.  This was the 7^th consecutive year that EvCC has qualified for the post season, and the 12^th time in the past 13 years that the Trojans have won at least two playoff games.  Mason Devinney, Hunter Bennett, Damon Gaither, and Drew Biggerstaff received 2^nd Team All North Region Honors.  Eli Holbert, Sheehan O'Connor, Braeden Terry, and Aiden Van Rensum received 1^st Team All North Region honors, and Sheehan O'Connor was an all region gold glover at third base.  Five sophomores have signed already to continue their baseball and educational careers at 4 year universities, the team GPA this season was 3.10 and 23 individuals made the academic honor roll with GPA's above 3.2.