IRVINE, Calif. – Baseball player Keston Hiura hit .588 (10-for-17) last week on his way to being named Buffalo Wild Wings Anteater of the Week.
Hiura extended his hitting streak to 20 straight road games and elevated him to second in the nation with a .419 batting average. Last week, he scored five runs and drove in four RBI including a three-RBI game Tuesday night as part of a four-hit effort against UCLA. The outfielder added his 50th and 51st doubles of the season as now stands just one shy of the program career record. His patience brought him four walks, making him the third Anteater to record 50 walks in a single season, and subsequently upped his nation-leading on-base percentage to .556. He also assumed the team lead in stolen bases going 4-for-4 at Riverside, and adding a ninth on the season in Tuesday night's win.
He leads the team in most every category beginning with his .419 batting average. The program has only had two .400-hitters in its existence - once in 1981 when Mike Nagle hit .402, and the all-time mark of .403 set in 1971 by Tom Spence. Since the program returned in 2002, the average leader is Ronnie Shaeffer (2009) and Jon Horwitz (2002) each hitting .388 in a season.
His 50 walks this season makes him the third Anteater with 50 in a season joining Fred Combs in 1990 and the record holder Brady Anderson who drew 52 walks in 1988.
Baseball America's most recent mock draft release slotted Hiura to go 12th overall in the upcoming MLB Draft.
Hiura's most recent accolade was a return to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List as the only Big West member of list of 40 players marking the second straight year he's appeared on both the midseason and preseason lists.
In 162 career games, Hiura has failed to reach base in just nine while producing 226 hits, 92 walks, 51 doubles, 22 HR, and 131 RBIs.
