UCI’s Hiura named Big West Conference Field Player of the Week

UC Irvine sophomore Keston Hiura has been named Big West Conference Field Player of the Week.

The center fielder hit .467 to help the Anteaters go 4-0 last week. He drove in four runs, scored five, stole four bases and had an outfield assist.

He drove home the go-ahead runs in a six-run eighth inning to cap a three-game nonconference sweep of Seattle on Sunday.

In the March 15 home win against Maryland, he drove in the first of nine Anteaters runs, and his run in the fifth inning turned out to be the game-winner.

Hiura, the Big West Freshman of the Year last season, entered the week leading the conference in batting average (.467), on-base percentage (.552) and slugging percentage (.773), as well as total bases (58).

Through Sunday, he paced UCI in hits (35), runs (18), home runs (five), RBIs (20) and stolen bases (5). He was fifth in the nation in batting average, ninth in hits and 10th in OBP.

It’s the third time in his career he has earned the award.

— From staff reports