Photo by Matt Filar/.Humboldt Crabs Baseball – The five Eureka High graduates on this year’s Crabs team, from left to right, Myles Standish, Rogan Bode, Parker Rodgers, Hayden Bode and Keenan Morris.

By Ray Hamill — It was another good summer for the Humboldt Crabs and a notable one for local players on the team.

A total of eight Humboldt County played a part as the Crabs finished with a record of 33-17 and pushed the top two teams all the way to the final day of league play for a place in the inaugural Pacific Empire League Championship Series.

The local contingent included a remarkable five players from the 2021 Eureka High School team, as well as a four-season team veteran, one of the most consistent pitchers the H-DNL has produced in recent years, and a College of the Redwoods record breaker.

The five Loggers included pitchers Hayden Bode and Myles Standish and infielders Keenan Morris, Parker Rodgers and Rogan Bode, who all played alongside McKinleyville pitcher Cameron Saso, St. Bernard’s pitcher Caleb Ruiz and CR outfielder Blake Browning.

Saso was arguably the most impressive of the group, even if his final stats don’t necessarily reflect that.

The 2020 Mack High graduate started 10 games and had an ERA of 3.54 while throwing a team-high 53.1 innings.

He finished with a record of 2-2 with several no-decisions, including a stellar performance against the Lincoln Potters, in which he carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning.

He had 43 strikeouts and walked 22.

Former St. Bernard’s standout Caleb Ruiz was almost as busy.

In his fourth summer with the team, Ruiz appeared in nine games and started five of them, while finishing with an ERA of 3.98.

The 2019 SB graduate went 4-3 with a save and struck out 35 batters in 29.1 innings while walking just 13.

Standish, meanwhile, joined the team late in the summer and appeared in four games, including three starts.

The University of Hawaii player, who graduated from Eureka High last year, had an ERA of 4.20 and a record of 1-0.

He struck out 18 in 15 innings and walked nine.

Rounding out the contingent of local pitchers, 2021 Eureka graduate Hayden Bode made 13 appearances for the Crabs out of the bullpen, a role he also plays for Minot State.

Bode, who also played for the Crabs two years ago, was much improved this summer, according to Crabs manager Robin Guiver.

He threw 30.2 innings and had an ERA of 6.16, while striking out 38 batters and allowing just eight walks.

His younger brother Rogan Bode, who graduated from Eureka High School last year and red-shirted at Folsom Lake College this past spring, also joined the team late in the summer and appeared in just four games, hitting successfully in three of them.

He batted .333 with a double and had three stolen bases.

Morris and Rodgers, meanwhile, both impressed despite battling injuries.

Morris, who graduated from Eureka High in 2021, appeared in 32 games, more than any other local player.

Defensively he provided the team with a reliable glove, mostly at third base, while averaging .238 at the plate.

The local standout hit three home runs and three doubles in 101 at-bats and walked 20 times, which impressively was fourth best on the team despite missing a lot of games.

Rodgers, who injured this hand on the first weekend of the season and did not return to the lineup until the final couple of weeks, batted an impressive .533 in nine games and showcased his power with three doubles and a triple.

Rodgers, who is coming off two big years at College of the Redwoods, will join Hayden Bode at Minot State this fall.

Browning also impressed in limited action this summer.

The CR record breaker, who set a new program single-season mark with eight home runs this past spring, batted .147 in 23 games and closed out the summer season strong with a pair of home runs on the final weekend.