PORT ANGELES — It’s an often-repeated scene for batters facing Port Angeles’ commanding junior pitcher Nizhoni Wheeler.
Having just struck out at the plate, opposition hitters shrug their shoulders and shake their heads on a lonely trudge back to the dugout.
Wheeler’s masterful pitching ability instills doubt and kills confidence for those unlucky enough to dig in at the batter’s box.
But this year a lighter load on the mound led to increased production at the plate for Wheeler.
Having a strong No. 2 pitcher in Hope Wegener took some of the strain off Wheeler’s rocket right arm.
“It was nice to have Hope Wegener healthy to start some games for us,” Roughriders coach Randy Steinman said.
“This was maybe a more enjoyable year for Nizhoni, to be able to play multiple positions and get some more at-bats.”
“And she really did have a dominating year, there was no let-up.”
After winning the Olympic League Class 2A Division MVP award in 2015 with a 16-3 record 155 strikeouts and a 0.97 ERA as a sophomore, Wheeler followed up with an 11-2 mark, 131 strikeouts in 79 innings and a miniscule 0.34 ERA this season.
Wheeler posted a batting average of .412 with 20 RBIs, including the game-tying and game-winning RBIs in Port Angeles’ 3-2 winner-to-state district playoff win against Orting.
She also was selected to the All-Olympic League 2A Division first team after leading the Riders to a second-straight unbeaten league record and a 23-2 overall mark.
Wheeler also is the All-Peninsula Girls Softball MVP, as determined by a poll of area coaches and the Peninsula Daily News sports staff.
“It helped a lot not having to pitch all the games,” Wheeler said. “I got a lot better at my hitting this year.”
Wheeler traced her improvement to increased batting practice over the past year with her club team, the Snohomish-based Northwest Bat Busters.
She plays on the team with Riders’ teammate Taylar Clark.
“Her bat did some amazing things in big games,” Steinman said.
“She was clutch.”
Steinman pointed to the district-playoff win over Orting as an example.
“She had the game-winning hit in extra innings and she had the other hit to get us tied in the bottom of the sixth,” Steinman said.
Wheeler, who also pitched a complete game three-hitter with seven strikeouts in that contest, said it was her favorite memory of the season.
“That was such a fun game and it was so meaningful for us to win,” Wheeler said.
“We clinched state, and I felt I pitched really well in that one. And we got clutch hits.”
Her hitting improved but Wheeler’s bread and butter is her pitching.
“I just really like pitching and being in command,” Wheeler said.
She showed that command in both rivalry games against Olympic League-runner up Sequim.
In two complete-game shutout victories against the Wolves, Wheeler struck out a combined 23 batters, while allowing five hits and six walks.
Steinman said her ability to locate pitches stands out.
“She’s very good at hitting her spots and she takes advantage of what the umpire gives her in terms of a strike zone,” Steinman said.
“That’s what she’s really good at. She can nibble and nibble and see how far she can take it before she’s out of the zone.”
Wheeler also can mess with hitters’ timing, a hallmark of an ace pitcher.
“Her fastball is hard for hitters to catch up with,” Steinman said.
“Her changeup was that much better this year. A lot of the time batters didn’t know what to do.
“She also throws a tough curve and a rise ball that comes up through the zone that they just can’t lay off of
“I wouldn’t want to face her.”
Wheeler said she put in the time to hone her secondary pitches this year.
“I worked a lot on my changeup and my rise ball and they both got a lot better this season,” Wheeler said.
And she praised her Olympic League MVP-battery mate, catcher Lauren Lunt.
“Lauren calls the pitches, she knows the hitters and knows where we should set them up,” Wheeler said.
She’s attracting attention from colleges interested in having her play ball at the next level.
“That’s definitely the goal,” Wheeler said.
“I’d like to find a school that would let me play softball and basketball.”
Wheeler also was named the All-Peninsula Girls Basketball MVP earlier this year.
Steinman already is looking forward to her senior softball season.
“Every year she gets progressively better in all aspects of the game,” Steinman said.
“It’s really been a luxury to have her on the team these last three years.”
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or at
mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
