June 25, 2021 – Everett, WA: After three complete seasons as the head coach of Everett Community College Baseball, former Everett Merchant JoJo Howie is leaving the EvCC program for an opportunity to coach at Central Arizona College. JoJo pitched for the Merchants in 2012 and 2013 posting a 5-1-2 record and a 1.65 ERA.
During his head coaching tenure JoJo led the Trojans to a final six finish in the 2018 NWAC playoffs, a trip to the NWAC Championship game in 2019, claimed two north region championships, and amassed an overall record of 99-44.
Howie
began his Everett CC career in 2012 playing two seasons for legendary coach
Levi Lacey. His Trojans won a combined 71 games in those two years
winning back-to-back North Region Title’s and finishing 3rd in 2012 before ultimately winning the programs first NWAC
Title since 1966 in his sophomore season. He went on to finish out his
college career in the Division I Athletic 10 Conference for Virginia Commonwealth
University where he had 30 career starts as a pitcher, threw 6 complete games,
with 154 strike outs and a 14-9 record.
In his first season at the helm, Howie led the Trojans to a Final 6 appearance in the NWAC Tournament and followed that year up with a North Region Title, 39 overall wins (tied for the most in program history), and a trip to the NWAC Championship game, falling just short of hoisting the trophy in a tight 2-0 ballgame. The Trojan’s were recognized by Perfect Game USA as a Top 25 Junior College program in the country at the conclusion of that season.
In the four complete seasons (2020 cancelled due to COVID) that JoJo has been in a coaching role with the program, there have been over 40 players to sign national letters of intent (many of those Division I), 25 players selected to the All-North Region team, 9 All NWAC players, 3 Gold Glovers, 3 ABCA All Americans, and 1 North Region Most Valuable Player. In 2019 JoJo Howie was named the North Region Coach of the Year.
Founded in the fall of 1992, the PIL is considered by many to be the premier Summer Collegiate Baseball league in the Northwest. Most PIL players are NCAA eligible and are unpaid in order to maintain their eligibility. The PIL is different from many other summer collegiate baseball leagues in that the league also allows former professionals and college graduates to participate.