By Ray Hamill — It’s been a fun and productive season for the Humboldt Eagles 17Us and the coaches and players will be hoping that continues to be the case as they get set to host their annual summer tournament this week.

The Eagles improved to 8-3 with an 11-3 win over the Colts on Tuesday night, after also edging the Southern Humboldt 76ers 5-4 in a walk-off win last week.

And they’ll be hoping to carry that form into this week’s tournament, which gets under way on Thursday and will be played mostly at the Redwood Fields in Cutten.

“We’ve got a handful of guys that are really shining on both ends of the field,” head coach John Downey said. “And we’ve really got some momentum going into the tournament.”

Several players have been stepping up for the team and are enjoying big summers, including young pitcher Kyle Giacone.

The soon-to-be Eureka High sophomore has impressed on the mound and at the plate and has been a force for the team through the first few weeks of the season.

In addition to averaging .455 with his bat, Giacone has been one of the Eagles’ most reliable and consistent arms on the hill with an ERA of 2.70.

His Eureka High teammate Brayden Bermers, who also will be a sophomore this fall, also has impressed his summer coach.

Bermers has an ERA of 2.40.

Grayson Raney is another young pitcher that has seen plenty of time on the hill and is taking full advantage of his playing opportunities.

Raney has been one of the team’s most pleasant surprises this summer and leads the team with an ERA of 1.16.

“Those three guys have been really good for us on the mound,” Downey said.

So too has Ryder Mitchell, who is one of the best young athletes at Eureka High and will be a junior this fall.

In addition to some nice performances on the mound, Mitchell also has been a key bat for the young Eagles is averaging an impressive .480.

“Ryder Mitchell is the heartbeat of our lineup,” Downey said. “I trust him to go up there and do his job.”

Scotty Brogan, who is another young Eureka Logger, also has impressed this summer and has had some clutch at-bats for the team. 

Brogan, who will be a high school sophomore in the fall, hit a key two-run home run for the Eagles in their final pool game at the recent Reno tournament, which they won 4-3.

Brogan’s blast helped the Eagles finish 3-1 in pool play, and he has impressed his coach with his play at the plate, along with Bermers and Matt Pleasant.

“Brayden, Matt and Scotty, they’re all doing their thing and are all hitting really well,” Downey added.

And that’s not all.

In addition to their impressive play, it’s the way the players have approached the summer season that stands out for Downey.

“What’s really impressed me the most is they just just go up there and do their job,” the coach said of his players. “It’s a fun group to be around, and I think when they play and have fun they perform really well.”

The six-team Eagles 17U tournament — which will be played in conjunction with the Eagles 19U tournament — gets under way on Thursday in Cutten.

The Eagles will play four games between opening day and Saturday, with the tournament playoffs set for Sunday.

The Eagles open at 3 p.m. on Thursday and will also play at 11:30 a.m. on Friday before a doubleheader of games on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. and noon.

The top four teams from pool play will advance to Sunday’s tournament semifinals, with the fifth- and sixth-placed teams playing for the tournament consolation.