Everett, WA – Trojan baseball opened up the 2024 campaign with a four-game series against Yakima Valley, a program that has perennially been among the best in the Eastern Region, but missed the NWAC Playoffs in 2023. The Yaks are under first year head coach, Ben Krueger who is familiar with the EvCC program, having spent the 2021 season as an assistant coach for the Trojans under then head coach JoJo Howie. Second year Trojan head coach Keith Hessler was the pitching coach for the 2021 squad, so the two skippers are well acquainted.
The first two games were held in Yakima, and while snow threatened to move the games earlier in the week, the weather cooperated for Saturday's double header in the Valley.
In the first game, both starting pitchers went five complete shutout innings. Everett broke the game open in the 6th on 3 walks and a pair of singles, tallying five runs. Yakima got a run back in the sixth but starting Trojan pitcher Wyatt Queen had a solid outing going 5.1 innings and giving up just the one earned run on three hits and struck out 8 batters. Willem Heilker was stellar in relief with 3 innings and 8 strikeouts. The big inning was enough to secure the first win of the season, 6-2. Everett was patient at the plate and drew 11 walks with 4 hits. Colin Beazizo had a triple and Isaac Hoag a pair of singles with an RBI.
In the second game, the Yakima pitchers limited the Trojans to just 3 walks, but the Trojan offense combined for 7 runs starting with four in the first two innings. Cooper McBride had a big 3 hit game including a double. Jake Lockwood had a two run RBI single as did Micah Coleman. The Trojan pitching was again solid, starter Callum Young went 5.1 innings, striking out 7, with 5 hits and 2 earned runs. Blake Sandvik pitched 1.2 innings with 1 hit, no runs, and 4 strikeouts. Mason Devinney closed the game pitching 2 innings, giving up one hit and struck out 3. Everett swept the day 7-3 in this game.
The two teams met in Everett on Sunday to close out the four-game series. Once again, Everett was able to get on the board first, scoring a run in the 3rd inning on a Micah Coleman double that drove in Axel Puls. Yakima put up 3 runs on 3 hits and an error in the 4th inning, but EvCC got back two runs in the 7th, with RBI's from Jonah Shull and Keaton Fisher to tie the game at 3. YVC took the lead back in the top of the 8th, but it was short lived as the Trojans responded with 3 runs in the bottom half of the frame, highlighted by Jonah Shull's 2RBI single and Isaac Hoag's double. Kyle Heaton came in to close the game and got the job done with two strikeouts securing the 6-5 final. Trojan pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts, starter Cooper McBride (6), George Naramore (5), and AJ Hendrickson (2) and Kyle's 2 strikeouts.
For the 4th consecutive game, the Trojans were on the board first, scoring a run in the first inning with an Isaac Hoag RBI single. The offense was rolling with two more runs in the 3rd (Shull RBI single and Fisher RBI double) and 3 runs in the 4th (Micah Coleman RBI double, Beazizo RBI single, and a run scored off of a balk). Trojan sophomore starter Ethan Hubbell cruised through 7 shutout innings and striking out six batters. The bullpen did their job while the offense tacked on six more runs and Everett completed the weekend sweep over the Yaks, winning 12-0.
The Trojans will host another East Region opponent next weekend, the Sasquatch of Spokane CC. All four games will be in Everett, with a 2pm doubleheader start on Saturday followed by a 12pm doubleheader start on Sunday. Spokane won the East Region a season ago but are off to a tough 0-3 start in 2024, losing to South Region opponents Umpqua 6-5, and then two to Lane by scores of 7-3 and 3-1.