Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Spencer Dugan of the Humboldt B52s.

By Ray Hamill — Bomber Field in Eureka will host one of the hottest local matchups of the summer season this week, when the B52s welcome the Eagles 19U for a two-game series.

The action gets under way on Wednesday night and concludes on Friday, and will feature the best young college and high school baseball talent in the county.

It also renews some local rivalries.

“Looks like I’m probably going to see Merek Sears again,” B52s head coach Scott St. John joked. “Like I haven’t seen him enough.”

Sears, Arcata High’s ace, helped his team win the NCS Division-IV title last week by getting the better of McKinleyville, which is also coached by St. John.

Sears is now lining out for the Eagles, a 19U county-wide American Legion team of high school and young college stars, which includes two of St. John’s McKinleyville players, Dustin Ireland and Cameron Saso.

“I get to go against my guys,” St. John said.

Dustin Ireland

The B52s, meanwhile, are a summer collegiate team, with some veteran players helping develop a roster made up mostly of college players, including many locals.

“I think it’s good for Humboldt County,” St. John said of the games. “It shows we support local Legion baseball, and it’s kind of a scouting process for us. These guys are going to be B52s in a couple of years.”

St. John admits he’s looking forward to seeing how the Eagles fare this year. 

“I’d imagine that’s a fun team to coach,” he said.

Both teams are still coming together at an early stage of the season, although the Eagles came out of the starting gate on fire, winning four road games at Ukiah and Napa over the weekend.

The B52s took two of three games at home to the Fresno A’s to begin their season over the weekend, including a thrilling comeback from an early 8-0 deficit in game two on Saturday.

Brian Orr provided  the late heroics with a two-out, two-RBI walk-off hit in the bottom of the ninth inning for an 11-10 win.

The B52s coaches look on during the season opener on Friday, including head coach Scott St. John, right.

“We played really well,” St. John said of the season-opening series. “We’re still waiting for some guys, so we’re a little shorthanded, and we’re still getting to know everybody and putting a lineup together. It will take a little bit, but I like what I saw.”

The head coach will have ample opportunity to get to know his new players this week, with games on five straight days.

The B52s play the Eagles on Wednesday and Friday, with a home game against the San Francisco Seals sandwiched in between.

They then travel for a tough two-game series at the Healdsburg Prune Packers, one of the best summer collegiate teams in NorCal.

“That’s a tough stretch, but it will be fun,” St. John said. 

All three of this week’s home games are set for 7:05 p.m.