Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — Steamboat U-13 baseball coach Greg Engle has a couple of goals in mind as he looks toward this weekend's Triple Crown Mountain Magic baseball tournament.

But there's one that sticks out more than the others.

"My main goal is to increase the quality of our youth baseball players by playing at a higher level," Engle said. "Basically I want to help them to become better baseball players."

The team plays games at 5 and 7 p.m. today at Vanatta Field at the base of Howelsen Hill.

Engle, who has coached youth baseball for more than 10 years, said although his team is winless this season, his players have shown weekly improvement.

"We're absolutely getting better," he said. "Day by day, game by game."

The team has 16 players from Steamboat, Oak Creek, Craig and Clark. The 24-team Mountain Magic tournament begins today with pool play. Championship games are Sunday.

The Steamboat team started practicing indoors in early March. Because there aren't any other teams to scrimmage against locally, the team's first game came at a tournament in Fort Collins in May.

Engle said he'd like to see the team make it through pool play and have a chance to qualify for one of the later World Series in Steamboat Springs.

"I'd love to qualify for the World Series," he said. "We've played seven games and every game we've become more competitive. We've improved our pitching staff and our defense, and hitting is looking pretty good.

"I think we're ready to surprise a few people and win some games."

The team will continue play at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday at Woodbury Park in Craig.