PORT ANGELES — The sweetest swing on the North Olympic Peninsula will soon be found in the batter’s box at Tacoma Community College’s Minnitti Field.
After three spring and summer seasons spent blasting baseballs around the confines of Civic Field, it’s hard to believe but Port Angeles senior slugger Ethan Flodstrom opened his varsity career as a freshman with more of a whimper.
“A lot of people don’t know I started out freshman year something like 0 for 12 at the plate,” Flodstrom said. And coach [Karl] Myers stuck with me, believed in me, and that was awesome for my confidence. I’d like to thank him for believing in me after a rough start, when he was dealing with a freshman who was having fits up there.”
Flodstrom, who has committed to continue his baseball career at Tacoma Community College, had a lengthy list of people to thank when reached Wednesday afternoon.
Flodstrom, a staple of All-Olympic League and All-Peninsula honors since his freshman season, will be playing for Ryan Mummert, the longtime Titans head coach who boasts that his program has sent more players on to play at NCAA Division I schools since 2013 than any other Pacific Northwest junior college, many of them high-performing academic achievers.
“He came and watched me during Wilder [American Legion] last summer and I went on some visits in the fall,” Flodstrom said. “The main thing is I love coach Mummert. He has an awesome baseball mind and knows a lot about the game, about hitting. “I’m looking to move on to a four-year program and he has a great reputation for moving his guys on. That was a major deciding factor, that they’ve sent some kids on to some bigger programs around the country. And he said he can help me get there.”
Flodstrom, while praising growing up in small-town Port Angeles, also is interested in some new challenges.
“Location played a role, too. I’ve only lived in a small town and I’ve loved it here, but I want to try the big city a little bit and see something new.”
Flodstrom, who also pitched for Port Angeles and Wilder, will remain in the outfield for the Titans.
“I’ll continue to play outfield, and I probably am going to be a corner outfield guy,” Flodstrom said. “I’m not going to pitch anymore, but I’ll still play outfield and hopefully contribute right away. If they need me to do something else, I’ll be available.”
And he’ll bring power and performance at the plate.
Myers, who coached Flodstrom for Port Angeles and Wilder through last summer, has always been impressed with Flodstrom’s preparation at the plate.
“His ability to hit is something I haven’t seen as a coach,” Myers said. “Not just his swing, but his approach at the plate. He is able to break down what pitcher is trying to do and sticks to his plan. He can flip on a breaking ball, he can go the other way if the pitcher wants to set up on the outer half.
“And his two-strike approach is phenomenal. He can fight pitches off and still get hard contact when the pitcher is trying his best to strike him out.”
Port Angeles’ Ethan Flodstrom, left, attempts to steal home during an April 2019 game against Kingston. The Roughriders won the game and ultimately captured their second-straight Olympic League championship. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News file)
Port Angeles head coach Casey Dietz, who coached Flodstrom as a Roughriders assistant last season, agreed.
“The thing that sticks out about Ethan, one thing that really defines him, is his ability to be a tough out,” Dietz said. “He’s not going to give away at-bats. He will make the pitcher work, wear you down, grind you out and get himself in situations where he can hurt you with his power. He just has a really good approach at the plate, really understands the game and what players are going to try and do to him.”
Flodstrom said he’ll leave Port Angeles with lasting baseball memories, especially all the time he spent with his teammates, particularly the Port Angeles senior class. The core of the group has played together on all-star teams from an early age, advancing to the Cal Ripken World Series in Florida as 12-year-olds, playing Olympic Junior Babe Ruth, winning two straight Olympic League titles in dramatic fashion, a district title and three state tournament berths as Roughriders.
“Without my teammates, my experience would have been totally different,” Flodstrom said before taking a short walk down the base paths of his youth career.
“The best memories I have are the league championship wins over NK (North Kitsap). Two walk-off wins in a row at home, it doesn’t get much better than that.
“Winning districts last year on a team that was just super close from the seniors to the sophomores. The whole World Series trip, all the time I got to spend with my teammates through all the seasons. There are just so many great memories of being together. It’s what we were all most looking forward to for this year, to have a historic season and leave a lasting mark as one of the best teams to have ever played for Port Angeles.”
“It’s definitely sad we don’t get to play this season. That we don’t get the opportunity to try and make history and become three-time league champs or defend the district title and make it back to state. I know we all had the same goal of winning a championship.”
Flodstrom took the opportunity to thank his teammates, former coaches and other members of the Port Angeles baseball community.
“Coach Thor [Gunderson] from Local 155, he drafted me when I was 10,” Flodstrom said. “Coach Rob Merritt, our World Series coach and my Babe Ruth coach on Athlete’s Choice. He was always there to help me with my swing. Coach Zac Moore who helped me with my play in the outfield and with being a leader. Coach Myers gave me the opportunity as a freshman. And of course my family, my dad Eric and my mom Betsy, all the seniors and all the guys I played with. We always played as a family and that made the last few years super special.
“And I know I am forgetting people, but all the coaches, parents and fans.”
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-406-0674 or mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
