Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Junior Mia Lopez in action for the Eureka girls at Arcata last week.

By Ray Hamill — Arguably the biggest game of the spring so far will take place at McKinleyville on Wednesday afternoon, with the Big 5 lead up for grabs in softball.

The host Panthers are tied atop the standings with the defending champion Eureka Loggers after both teams swept their league-opening series.

The Mack girls won all three of their league games against Fortuna, while the Loggers did likewise against Arcata, and that heightens the importance of this week’s series between the two frontrunners.

Wednesday’s game, which is set for 4 p.m., is the first of three between the two schools this week, with a doubleheader also scheduled for Saturday at Washington Elementary school at 11 a.m.

Also on Wednesday, the Del Norte girls will begin league play when they host Fortuna at 4 p.m., with those two teams also meeting in a Saturday doubleheader at Fortuna.

The Arcata girls have a bye in league play this week.

In Little 3 softball, meanwhile, the league-leading Hoopa girls have a bye this weekend after winning their opening four league games, including a doubleheader sweep at Ferndale on Tuesday.

The Warriors are scheduled to play at Credo on Thursday, while Ferndale will play at Laytonville on the same afternoon, before hosting St. Bernard’s in a league doubleheader on Saturday.

In baseball, meanwhile, there are two Big 5 games scheduled for Wednesday, with league co-leaders Fortuna (2-1 in the Big 5) traveling to Crescent City to play Del Norte at 4 p.m.

The Warriors will be playing their first league games after a bye last week.

Also on Wednesday, the Eureka Loggers will try to bounce back from a disappointing opening series against Arcata when they play at McKinleyville at 4 p.m.

Both the Loggers and Panthers dropped two of their opening three league games.

Arcata, which has a bye in league play this week, will instead play at Salesian on Thursday.

In the Little 4, meanwhile, there will be a pair of doubleheaders on Saturday, with league leaders St. Bernard’s playing at Ferndale, and South Fork traveling to Hoopa.

The two games at Ferndale will be for the Little 4 lead, with the Crusaders coming in at 4-0 in league play and the Cats at 3-1.