The Everett mens baseball team will miss out on the NWAACC tournament this season after losing to Bellevue Community College in the North Division championship game 11-1.

"They just played better than us, there is no other rhyme or reason to it other than the fact they just played well," Head Coach Levi Lacey said. "They were much more offensive in the tournament than in the regular season."

The loss marked the second loss in as many days the Trojans would take from Bellevue, and both would come in blowout fashion on their way to a 2-2 tournament record.

"When we played [Bellevue] their hitters just caught fire at the right time," Lacey said.

Skagit Valley Community College finished in first place in the North Division standings, giving them an automatic bid to the NWAACC tournament, meaning the Trojans only hope at making a run at a fourth NWAACC championship in school history would be to win the North Division tournament.

The third seed Trojans matched up in their first game with defending NWAACC champion Edmonds Community College. Freshman pitcher Keith Campbell controlled the mound like he had all season with eight strikeouts and freshman Curt Nelson hit his fifth home run of the season on their way to a 13-0 victory.

Advancing to the next round they met the 2007 NWAACC tournament champion Bellevue who the Trojans split the season series with at 2-2. The Trojans sent sophomore and last year's second team All-North Division pitcher David Benson to start the game against Bellevue's Kirk Wetmore.

The Trojans struggled to contain Bellevue's hitting, giving up 11 hits and 10 runs including the first home run of the season for Bellevue's Michael Robertson in the 10-1 loss.

Since this is a double-elimination tournament, the Trojans were given another chance to make the NWAACC tournament, but would have to face this year's toughest team in the North Division Skagit Valley who they had lost three out of four games to.

The Trojans sent this year's male athlete of the year, Arlo Evasick to the mound to keep their NWAACC tournament hopes alive.

Evasick pitched like he did in the state championship game his senior year at Chimicum High School scattering six Skagit hits with the only run coming on a solo home run by Austin Potter. Evasick pitched all nine innings and collected 11 strikeouts in the 4-1 win.

The win meant the Trojans would face off with Bellevue in the championship game, but would have to win two games in a row since Bellevue had not lost a game in the double-elimination tournament.

Instead of pitching Campbell again on one day of rest, head coach Levi Lacey sent freshman Bryce Avila to the mound.

Avila struggled just like Benson had in the first game to get outs as Bellevue went on to score 11 runs and Michael Robertson hit his second home run in as many days - his only two of the season.

The Trojans will miss out on the NWAACC tournament after making it the previous season, ending their shot at winning their first NWAACC championship since 1966.

The Trojans also suffered more losses this season than in each of their previous two seasons finishing at 14-10 in the league and 26-16 overall.

"Overall I am really proud of the boys," Lacey said. "I thought they came out and did a good job and knocked off a few good teams in the process."

Although the Trojans will be without key members like Benson and outfielder Mike Malland next season, the team is loaded with talented freshmen that includes Keith Campbell, Arlo Evasick, Curt Nelson, Jace Sloan, Andrew Barrier and Pat Bliss who all have another year of eligibility left to make another run at the NWAACC championship next season.

"It's not only the freshman we have coming back next season, but we have a great recruiting class coming in," Lacey said.

With the amount of talent coming back on both the hitters and pitchers, combined with the incoming recruits, an NWAACC tournament appearance could be in site for the Trojans next season.

"I have big expectations for next year's team, I feel really good about next year like I do every year," Lacey said. "Hopefully next season's team is the one that gets us one game farther and back at the NWAACC championship."