Shreve earns Player of the Week award

What’s a kid from Auburn, Wash. doing playing college baseball at UCF?

Most people wouldn’t expect it.

Most people don’t expect a 5-foot-10 second baseman to lead his team with a .360 batting average from the ninth spot in the batting order.

But then again, Travis Shreve is not the player most people expect him to be, and that is part of the reason why Conference USA has named him its Hitter of the Week.

The senior earned the honor for his part in the Knights’ 4-0 week, a stretch that included a win at home against FAU and a series sweep at Tulane.

Shreve hit .563 in 16 at-bats, stole three bases, racked up a .625 slugging percentage and failed to commit an error in the field last week.

All of Shreve’s production came from the bottom of the order, playing out perfectly for head coach Terry Rooney’s offensive strategy.

“We’re trying to put ourselves in the position to create a big inning,” Rooney said. “We’ve got a very balanced lineup.”

Shreve’s consistency at the plate this season – he owns a .417 on-base percentage – has allowed the hitters behind him to thrive.

D.J. Hicks, who typically hits three spots behind Shreve in the lineup, has knocked in a nation-leading 56 runs this season.

For Shreve, batting at the bottom of the order is just another way to contribute to the team.

“The great thing about our team is it does not matter if it is the top or the bottom of the order — someone is going to get the job done,” Shreve said. “We don’t try to rely on just one person; we all just try to chip in and do our part.”

Shreve will try and continue his hot streak at the plate this weekend as the Knights prepare to host Memphis for a three-game series.

The Knights will try and keep their six-game win streak alive and stay atop the C-USA standings this weekend, but will certainly face a test.

The Tigers will come into the series riding the momentum of a 4-2 Tuesday night victory over No. 18 Mississippi, according to Baseball America.

Senior third baseman Jacob Wilson leads Memphis at the plate, batting .316 with 10 home runs and 43 RBIs this season.

Starting pitcher Dan Langfield will try to keep UCF’s bats at bay. He has struck out 77 batters over 65 2/3 innings this season and owns a 3.02 ERA.

Game One is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. Friday night.