PORT ANGELES — In their seventh summer season on the diamond and eighth overall on the North Olympic Peninsula, the Port Angeles Lefties continued to make Civic Field a community gathering spot, a training ground for the next generation of pro players and a place to pass along a love of America’s pastime.
“I’m excited where we are at,” Lefties co-owner Matt Acker said. “We are continuing our plan to have returning players and coaches and building something together. We got off to a slow start as a group, but we rallied in the second half and we were in the playoff race until the final week which is a testament to the kids and how hard they worked and developed.
“In building the team we didn’t mix in the big schools this year, because we wanted to have a gritty, tough and blue collar team that represents Port Angeles the town be the backbone of the team. “Wenatchee won championships with a core of Gonzaga guys and Columbia Basin players that they built over a number of seasons. That’s the type of team we want to build.”
Acker praised the coaching staff of manager Donald Brais, Adrian Alvarez Jr. and Tanner Knapp.
“Our coaches did a great job of learning how to coach summer ball, it requires a lot of different strategy than college with workloads and inning limits.
Acker also his front office, operations staff and community members who volunteered to house players this summer.
“Our GM Bree Schaefer and our host families really rallied to push through,” Acker said. “This can be a demanding summer, not just for the players, and they really stepped up.”
The Lefties continued to add former area high school standouts to their roster in 2024 as former Roughriders’ John Vaara, Kole Acker and Wyatt Hall all contributed.
Hall, entering his senior season at Cal State San Bernadino after a stellar effort at Skagit Valley College, had three multi-hit games and batted an outstanding 7-for-20 (.350) while serving as designated hitter for the team’s final six games.
“It was neat to have Wyatt come in with us at the end of the year,” Acker said. “He had a nerve in his elbow that he had to have surgery on and he was rehabbing most of the summer.”
The 6-foot-8 Vaara started seven games, logging a 3.49 ERA in 38.2 innings with 29 walks and 21 strikeouts.
“It was great to get him back on the mound — John’s such a nice, polite kid — and see what he’s capable of after basically two years off [due to Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow suffered his senior year in 2022].”
Hall’s Cal State San Bernadino teammate Jeremy Giesegh is the obvious selection as the team’s Most Valuable Player.
The Lefties representative to the West Coast League All-Star Game, Giesegh was a contact-hitting revelation from the first pitch of the season, leading the league in batting average for much of the summer and coming out on top of the entire league in total hits (77).
Giesegh finished fifth in batting average with a .348 clip behind Wenatchee’s Aidan Dougherty (.380) and posted three home runs, four triples and seven doubles along with driving in 30 runs and scoring 36 times. He also swiped 12 bases and had 24 walks.
“His simple approach is why he’s successful. He’s very simple and kind of weird but that’s good for baseball. He hits fastballs for a high average and hits them every time,” Acker said. “I believe he’s already committed to coming back next summer.”
The team’s 2023 MVP Roberto Nunez returned and overcame a tough start to hit .299 and lead the Lefties in home runs with five and RBIs with 34.
“Once he found his groove he was right there with Giesegh’s production all summer,” Acker said. “He was pressing and trying to do too much at the start which shows how much he cared.”
Jackson Price led Port Angeles on the mound, posting a 2.90 ERA across 40.1 innings with a 2-3 record in 11 games including eight starts. He finished with 40 strikeouts to 25 walks.
“He’s going to be quite the force in the future,” Acker said.
Price and fellow pitcher Colby Scheuber will also join Kole Acker and Brais at Chaffey College this fall.
And Acker said more improvements are planned for Civic Field, including new seating behind home plate, this offseason.
The team’s Civic Field lease with the city of Port Angeles is on a five-year rolling contract, with rates rising by 3-percent each year and each side able to ask for mediation with at least a year’s notice.
