North Region Champs!

Everett, WA – The Trojans closed out the regular season with a 2-2 series split over Skagit Valley, and clinched the program's fourth north region championship in the last five seasons.  Second year head coach Keith Hessler picked up his 54^th career win and first North Region Title, though he is no stranger to the accolade serving as the pitching coach for the 2021 and 2022 teams that won the North.

The first half of the series was played in Mount Vernon on a beautiful 80-degree day.  Everett got on the board first in the 2^nd inning when Cooper McBride singled to bring in Carson Burns from 3^rd.  Starting pitcher Mason Devinney was solid through the first three innings but ran into some trouble in the 4^th giving up a two-run home run.  Then in the 5^th a lead off walk turned into an unearned run.  Devinney finished the game going 6 full innings, giving up 3 hits and striking out 4 batters. 

The Trojan offense was able to push across a run in the 8^th but left two runners on.  Everett out hit the Cardinals 7-3 who were held hitless in the final three innings but they held on to win, 3-2.  Sophomore Brandon Brunette did a nice job out of the pen closing out the game and getting a strikeout. 

Everett once again got on the board first in game two, plating a run in the 3^rd, followed by a run in the 4^th.  Starting pitcher, Callum Young went 4 shutout innings before Skagit got to him in the bottom of the 5^th.  A leadoff walk turned in to 4 runs on 3 hits.  Trailing 4-2, EvCC waited until the top of the 9th to get back into the game but had to do so with 2 outs.  Carson Burns came through with a two-run single to tie the game and send it into extra innings, just the second extra inning game of the season. Neither team could plate a run in the 10^th, but the Trojans capitalized on Jonah Shull's leadoff single when Micah Coleman drove him in for his second RBI of the game and 20^th of the season.  AJ Hendrickson, who entered the game back in the 8^th, stayed in the game and closed out the Cardinals in four batters to clinch the win. Colin Beazizo had the other RBI in the game, and Jonah Shull had the hot bat with 5 hits (all singles) and came around to score three times.

Back in Everett on Mother's Day the weather cooled off only slightly as it was still sunny and in the mid 70's.  Once again Everett would win in a thriller, highlighted by Axel Puls' walk-off double.  Everett trailed 2-1 in the bottom of the 9^th.  Isaac Hoag led off the inning with a walk, and Carson Burns followed with a single to put the tying run on second.  Jake Lockwood was hit by pitch to load the bases, setting up Puls' heroics.  Skagit was ahead early scoring a run in the 1^st and a run in the 2^nd.  The Trojans were held scoreless until the 7^th inning when Hoag came around to score on a wild pitch after he singled and was advanced to third on a sac bunt by Burns and a Puls single.   Landon Welter started the game on the hill for the Trojans, and while his start was shaky, he settled in and got through 7 complete innings, holding Skagit scoreless for five innings.  He finished the game with just the two earned runs and struck out six.  Cooper McBride closed the game giving up just one hit and getting a strikeout. 

Blake Sandvik got his second start of the season in the series finale, but it would be a bullpen game that would require the Trojans to use some more come from behind magic.  Everett trailed 5-1 through 6.5 innings before finally breaking through in the 7^th by scoring four runs to tie the game.  After Nathan Harb held SVC scoreless in the 8^th, EvCC plated two more in the bottom half of the inning to take a 7-5 lead going into the 9^th , but the Cardinals got the runs back forcing another extra inning affair.  Both teams went scoreless through the 11^th inning but it would be SVC who broke through in the 12^th, scoring 5 runs.  The deficit proved too much to overcome and Skagit took the series finale 12-7. Jonah Shull and Isaac Hoag each had a good game at the plate, Shull with 4 hits, Hoag with 3 and both had an RBI. 

Everett will have next weekend off from the regional playoff round, earning a direct ticket to Longview in the Final 8 for winning the Region.  They will await the winner of the East Regional, hosted by Blue Mountain CC (Pendleton, OR).  BMCC will play the winner of Lane CC (Eugene, OR) and Pierce College, whom the Trojans played earlier this season in a single game and won 5-2. 

Whoever advances out of the east regional, Everett will face on May 23^rd at 12:35pm in Longview in a double elimination style tournament for the NWAC Championship.  Everett CC last won the championship in 2014, placed 2^nd in 2019, and finished 3^rd in 2022.