PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles Lefties’ Jeremy Giesegh doesn’t lack for confidence.
And he’s absolutely got the numbers to back it up.
Giesegh has been an absolute beast and the biggest star so far this season for the Lefties. At the end of June, he was named the West Coast League Player of the Week.
On June 21, his batting average was up to .400 after a blistering streak of 13-for-30 (.433) over seven games, which earned him the honor of West Coast Player of the Week.
“I kind of thought I should have been a player of the week earlier, to be honest,” Giesegh said. That might sound cocky, but Giesegh has a point. Early in June, he also had a six-game streak in the WCL of 12-for-27 (.444) over six games.
He’s cooled off slightly since then, though his average remains a stellar .347, good for fourth in the pitching-heavy WCL (The average batting average in the league is .249.).
In fact, Giesegh is at the top of the leaderboard in nearly every offensive category in the league. His three home runs are tied for second in the WCL. His 33 hits are third, 19 RBIs are third, his slugging percentage of .516 is second and his .920 on-base plus slugging is second in the league among batters with at least 100 plate appearances.
On top of all that, he also leads the Lefties with eight stolen bases, showing both speed and power.
You can add to all of that two home runs and six RBIs in four nonleague games, giving him 25 RBIs in 26 games.
Pretty gaudy numbers, but Giesegh is no stranger to it. This season at Cal State, San Bernardino, an NCAA Division II school, he hit .351 in 32 games. That’s after hitting .286 his freshman year with four home runs and 17 RBIs. This a player used to hitting.
When asked if he’s surprised at how well he’s done, Giesegh said, “no not really. I have a lot of self-confidence. I don’t necessarily show it.” He believes in being confident without being cocky.
Giesegh, who plays left field and right field, said he isn’t necessarily concerned about the getting the attention of scouts or possibly getting drafted in the Major League draft, though with his college and WCL numbers, he has a good chance to be drafted one day.
“No, I’m just out here playing. It’s just good to be out here playing ball for the summer,” he said. Giesegh said he has always been kind of a speed player but is trying to combine more power with his speed, as his five total home runs this season.
Giesegh hails from Upland, Calif., where he was first team all league as a senior in baseball. Upland is in the Inland Empire not far from San Bernardino, so the Coyotes are his hometown school. He said he has no intention at this time to transfer to a Division 1A school. “I’m built on loyalty,” he said.
He plays with his trademark glasses. Giesegh’s vision isn’t that bad, 20/25, but with his prescription glasses, he can see 20/15, which is what he wants at the plate.
“I can pick up the seams on the ball better,” he said.
There is an interesting connection between Cal State San Bernardino and Port Angeles. In past seasons, Coyotes Riley Parker, Andres Quinones and Derek Bogh all played for the Lefties. This season, Giesegh is joined by his Cal State, San Bernardino teammate Riley Ricken, a pitcher, and he said another Coyote is committed to joining the Lefties.
And Wyatt Hall, a huge star for the Port Angeles Roughriders, the Wilder Baseball Club and later Skagit Valley College, is also on the roster for Cal State, San Bernardino.
This past week was a first for Giesegh as the team took a road trip through Canada, playing games in nearby Victoria, B.C., and far-away Edmonton, Alberta. “This ia new experience for me,” he said.
Geisegh likes his teammates, likes how hard they compete and sees that they have come to believe in him when he is up to the plate. Though the Lefties have struggled for victories, they fight every game and most of their losses have been close ones that came down to the final out.
“I’m glad to see us fighting back,” he said.
Jeremy Giesegh with his trademark in-game glasses at Civic Field in Port Angeles before a home game. He was named West Coast League Player of the Week in late June. (Pierre LaBossiere/Peninsula Daily News)
