PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles’s 5-foot-6, 145-pound Austyn Tengan may not be the prototypical first guy off the bus on road trips, the spot some teams use to intimidate the opposition with their biggest strongest player.
But the soon-to-be sophomore from Cal-State Bakersfield is doing enough damage at the plate, on the bases and in defense at second base to earn ample playing time with the Lefties.
Tengan, who grew up near the other Angeles, in Cypress, Calif., was stuck behind All-Western Athletic Conference second baseman David Metzger during his freshman season in Bakersfield.
He got 13 starts and hit 6 for 39 (.153) while adjusting to college life and NCAA Division I competition.
So far with Port Angeles, Tengan is coming through tenfold.
In 14 games with the Lefties (through Wednesday), Tengan is second in the West Coast League in batting average, hitting at a .412 clip. He’s sixth in hits with 21 despite appearing in less games than every player above him. Tengan has three doubles, a triple and has scored 10 runs while driving in three from his usual spot hitting leadoff.
“I just try to stick to my game, stick to a line-drive approach,” Tengan said to explain his success. “If I hit one good it happens but I really just try to get on base and make good contact.
“I’ve been leading off and I kind of like it there. When I leadoff I just try to see pitches, look for fastballs, spin on offspeed pitches. Let my teammates down the order get a good look and let them see as many pitches as possible.”
Lefties manager Zach Miller said Tengan, despite not seeing a ton of time in college, came with rave reviews from his college skipper Jeremy Beard.
“He’s kind of a hidden gem,” Miller said. “Coach Beard down there told me, ‘You’re going to love him.’ He’s pesky, he gets on base, he does the little things for you and he plays great defense.
The hitting ability also was a pleasant surprise.
“I didn’t know we were going to get a .400 hitter which is great,” Miller joked.
“Especially when he’s in the leadoff spot and he’s the first guy the other team sees.”
Miller said Tengan caught some heckling from fans during the team’s recent road trip.
“I know Walla Walla [fans] got on him pretty good to open the game because of his size and stature and then he went 4 for 6 and they were quieter and quieter,” Miller said.
“He hits one down the line and they are playing him about 10 feet off the left-field line and their guy dives and misses it and it goes all the way to the wall.
“He’s just a playmaker, a catalyst at the top of the lineup you like to have out there.”
Miller said Tengan reminds him of a current Major Leaguer and Mariners-killer in Houston.
“He’s a great kid, he gets it and knows he’s not 6’2, but then you have Jose Altuve in the Major Leagues and he’s doing the same type of thing at the position,” Miller said.
“Austyn’s got a bit of a chip on his shoulder and he’s looking to prove himself.”
And the Lefties and the West Coast League offer plenty of chances to do just that.
“My coaches [at Bakersfield] said it was a good league, good competition lots of Pac-12 and Big West talent, and its been fun up here [in Port Angeles],” Tengan said.
“I’m enjoying how beautiful it is, the fresh air, the harbor, the ridge, My family came out and visited a couple of weeks ago and they loved it here.”
As for keeping his hot hitting going, Tengan said he hasn’t heard any advice from the Lefties coaching staff, typical when a player is on a hot streak.
“They haven’t talked to me lately,” he said with a smile. “I’m just going to continue doing what I’m doing.”
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News Port Angeles’ Austyn Tengan, left, tags out Walla Walla’s Nick Nyquist on a steal attempt during a game earlier this month. Tengan leads the team and is second in the West Coast League in hitting with a .435 batting average.
