Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Myles Standish

By Ray Hamill — It was a good week to be a Big 5 pitcher.

Eureka juniors Myles Standish and Kira Morris both pitched no-hitters for their respective teams, each of which remains on track for a Big 5 championship in both baseball and softball.

And that make them this week’s Humboldt Sports Athletes of the Week, sponsored by College of the Redwoods Athletics.

Standish was sensational in a 12-0 win over Fortuna on Wednesday, throwing a 47-pitch no-hitter, as the Eureka boys kept their unbeaten run going in league play.

The previous day, Morris shut down the Del Norte bats with a no-hitter in Crescent City in a 3-1 win, as she continues to set the standard locally in the circle in H-DNL softball.

Joining them on this week’s list of honorees is Arcata senior Vincent Agliolo, who has been a consistently effective presence for the high-flying Tigers both on the mound and at the plate.

Agliolo played a key role in last weekend’s three-game sweep over McKinleyville, including an outstanding pitching performance in the series opener to set the tone for the weekend.

Our team of the week honors, meanwhile, go to the Hoopa Warriors softball team, which bounced back from a disappointing los at St. Bernard’s last weekend to win four straight games this week and clinch the Little 4 championship.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Myles Standish

Eureka Baseball, Junior

Standish was sensational in Wednesday’s win, turning in a performance that head coach Jeff Giacomini described as the “most dominant pitching performance I have ever witnessed (at the varsity level) in nine years as a coach.”

The junior ace struck out 11 of the 17 batters he faced and threw just 47 pitches, while walking no one and allowing just two batters reach base all day, both on hit-by-pitches.

Standish also led the way at the plate and finished 4-for-4 with two doubles and four RBIs.

For more on his memorable performance, see Sensational Standish throws 47-pitch no-hitter at Fortuna …

Vincent Agliolo 

Arcata Baseball, Senior

Agliolo should get serious consideration for Big 5 MVP this season as he continues to lead the way on a talented league-challenging Tigers team.

The Arcata senior threw all seven innings in a 2-0 shutout win over McKinleyville on Friday night of last week, allowing just four hits and two walks and striking out 14.

On Wednesday, he threw a one-hitter and struck out nine in a 10-0 win over Del Norte, while also finishing 2-for-3 at the plate with a home run.

Few players in the Big 5 has been as effective all season on the mound and at the plate combined as the consistent senior.

For more on his big week, see Tigers top the Warriors to keep pace with league leaders …

Kira Morris

Eureka Softball, Junior

Morris has been exceptional all spring and carried that form into this week’s game at Del Norte.

The junior ace is now 15-0 on the season with a remarkable 161 strikeouts in 99.1 innings.

She came into the week with an ERA of 1.07 as well as leading the team at the plate with a .569 batting average.

For more on the junior’s big week, see Morris tosses no-hitter as Loggers continue to roll at Del Norte …

Submitted photo

TEAM OF THE WEEK

Hoopa Softball

The Warriors are league champions for the third straight time, a run that could very well be five straight had it not been for COVID.

On Friday, the Hoopa girls sealed the deal with a doubleheader sweep over South Fork, following their Little 4 success in 2018 and 2019 with another league title.

Senior Savannah Colegrove has been a force both in the pitcher’s circle and at the plate, but she’s far from the only standout on this deep roster.

Her sister Tatianna Colegrove, as well as the Bibancos sisters, Diamond and Jewely, Nae-rew Martin, Bethany Masten and Nalani Colegrove have all been outstanding, with different teammates stepping up every week under the guidance of head coach Ryan Colegrove.

The Warriors can now turn their attention to the Charlie Lakin postseason tournament, where they will be a challenge for any Big 5 team, and then it’s on to the North Coast Section playoffs for the top-ranked Division-V team in the section.