ALL-PENINSULA BASEBALL MVP: Port Angeles’ Alex Angevine has all the tools

PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles’ Alex Angevine actually got off to a bit of a slow start this season.

But he finished with a flourish.

Angevine did everything for the Roughriders baseball team this season. He played a solid and steady defense at the toughest positions, shortstop, all year. He batted .318 for the season and was an absolute terror on the basepaths with 19 steals out of 21 attempts and 30 runs scored in 26 games. He helped turn 10 doubles plays and made just eight errors for a .915 fielding percentage.

But he saved the best for last. Angevine would sometimes be brought in late to pitch. Though he was needed at the shortstop position, he is actually a very good pitcher.

First, on May 7, in an important game that the Riders needed to win to lock up third place in the Olympic League and a good seed at the District 3 tournament, he went two gutty innings, allowing five baserunners but no runs as Port Angeles came from behind to win 7-6 in eight innings to finish 8-6 in league.

He did even better at the state tournament. Port Angeles has had some very good baseball teams over the past 15 years, but the Riders hadn’t won a game at state since 2001. This time, Angevine went a grueling 3⅔ innings as the game remained locked in a 4-4 tie and went 10 innings. He struck out five and allowed just one hit as Port Angeles beat Tumwater 6-4 for its first win at the state tournament in a generation. Angevine was the official winner of the game.

“It wasn’t just me, a lot of other guys had something to do with it,” Angevine said. “I just tried my best.”

There was some tough competition from Angevine’s Port Angeles teammates Luke Flodstrom and Nathan Basden, Sequim’s Braydan White and even Quilcene’s Eli Allen, but because of everything he did in the field, at the plate, on the basepaths and on the mound, Alex Angevine is the Peninsula Daily News pick for the All-Peninsula Baseball Most Valuable Player.

Angeveine pitched just 10⅔ innings all season. It felt like more, but he pitched all in relief in close games. Those 10-plus innings were generally high-stress innings.

“Honestly, I think I should have used him [on the mound] earlier more than I did,” said Port Angeles coach Zac Moore. “Alex was the guy you wanted to have out there in a big game.”

Angevine showed his share of muscle, but he was also one of the fastest players on a team full of speedsters. One stat that doesn’t show up is how many errors he caused by pickoff throws to first or bad throws to second to try and stop his basestealing.

“He’s one of the most athletic kids I’ve ever coached,” Moore said. “He has the ability to take over games.”

While most local kids go on to play at two-year schools in the Northwest Athletic Conference, Angevine is going directly from Port Angeles to a four-year NCAA Div. II school, Western Oregon, based in Monmouth, Ore.

“I love to be part of a winning program and it’s a winning program,” Angevine said. “The coaches are super chill and close to coach Moore.”

Though Angevine said it wasn’t a factor, Western Oregon just happens to be a few miles away from Corvallis and Oregon State University, one of the national juggernauts in NCAA baseball, so it’s possible he will get some attention from the Beavers if he does well at WOU.

Angevine admitted he started “the season a little rough,” but made changes to his stance and approach and “finally figured it out.” He picked up his hitting to finish well over .300 for the season.

Angevine also said he concentrated this year on how to handle himself, showing support to his younger teammates and picking them up especially after a tough play.

There were numerous other deserving players this year around the Olympic Peninsula for the 2025 All-Peninsula team. They include:

• Braydan White, Sequim — Arguably the MVP of the Wolves. White hit .354 with five doubles and three triples. He drove in 10 runs and scored 15. In 22 innings pitched, he had two saves, an impressive 36 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.25.

• Ethan Staples, Sequim — A .333 batting average with 12 RBIs and 12 runs scored. Also had a 2.39 ERA in 26 innings pitched with 38 strikeouts.

• Eli Allen, Quilcene — Allen hit .302 with five doubles, 12 RBIs and 14 runs scored. On the mound, he was spectacular, pitching 45⅔ innings, striking out 97 batters and allowing just four earned runs for an amazing ERA of 0.61. And he’s just a freshman.

• Oliver Hopkins, Quilcene — Hopkins provided a powerful one-two punch for the Rangers along with Allen. He hit .396 with four doubles, two triples, two home runs, 16 RBIs and 16 runs. On the mound, he pitched 41 innings, struck out 60 and allowed just eight earned runs for a 1.37 ERA.

• Jayden Love, Quilcene — Love gets special mention because of what he has overcome in the past 2½ years. As a freshman, playing quarterback for the Rangers, he suffered a severely broken leg that was serious enough that he was not able to play sports for more than two years. He came back this year as a junior to play a few basketball games at the end of the season. He played the entire baseball season for the Rangers, and did extremely well, leading the team with a .408 average and 19 runs scored.

• Landen Olson, Forks — The Spartans’ best overall player, he hit .386 with three doubles, three triples and a home run. He had 11 RBIs, 17 runs scored and 13 stolen bases. On the mound, he pitched 30 innings and struck out 37 with a 2.33 ERA.

• Luke Flodstrom, Port Angeles — Flodstrom was a stalwart behind the plate for the Roughriders, making just three errors at the catcher position. He also led the Riders with a .355 batting average with four doubles and 12 RBIs.

• Nathan Basden, Port Angeles — Basden hit .341 with 11 RBIs, 17 runs scored and 15 stolen bases.

• Josiah Gooding, Port Angeles — Gooding was the leading RBI man for the Riders with 21 runs driven in. He hit .290 with four doubles, a home run and 15 runs scored.

• Kody Williams, Port Angeles — Became the ace of the Riders this year with 51⅓ innings pitched and 15 earned runs for a solid ERA of 2.05. His record was 5-0. He struck out 31 batters and walked just nine.

• Honorable mentions — Sequim: Zeke Schmadeke, 14 steals and 15 runs scored. Led the Wolves in innings pitched with 33⅔. Struck out 38 batters and had a record of 4-3; Devyn Dearinger, .302 and played a solid second base; Bryant Laboy, was the team’s senior leader and played solid defense at shortstop.

Port Angeles: Rylan Politika, 3.00 ERA in 28 innings pitched with 26 strikeouts; Brayden Martin, 33 strikeouts in 27 innings pitched; Ian Smithson, .368 batting average, 13 runs scored and seven steals.

Forks: Connor Clark, 2.05 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 27 innings; Mason Dent, .346 batting average and three doubles.