UCI’s Hiura a hit with pro baseball scouts

As is sometimes the case with genius, there were those who observed the uncommon elements of Keston Hiura’s art and measured them, against the canvas of consensus, as stains.

The combination of his pre-pitch toe-tap and pre-trigger leg kick has irritated the technical sensibilities of baseball intelligentsia. The high finish, an elevated follow through after contact, has ruffled the feathers of those dulled by decades of diamond dogma.

Hiura, topping out at a less-than-slugger-like 5 feet 11, heard the criticism and merely kept doing what had always felt natural, what had always worked, what eventually made him arguably the best hitter in college baseball.

After all, these critics were largely the same people who had for years failed to acknowledge the totality of his gifts.

“Looking back, beginning from high school, I wasn’t a very heavily recruited person and not a top prospect,” said Hiura, a UC Irvine junior who hit .442 and reached base well more than half of his plate appearances (.567) in an All-American season that is prelude to being drafted somewhere in the middle of the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft that begins Monday. “A lot of people pointed out flaws. But the person I was then, to now, is the same exact person. It has been interesting to see how that can change with being successful at the collegiate level.”

As the pendulum of perception has swung, however, Hiura’s swing has remained constant. It is his metronome sameness, his unwavering certitude and nearly unparalleled inner peace that have combined with rare physical prowess to render him a virtual slump-proof hitting machine.

“There is a completeness to what he has done with his swing that makes him special,” said UCI Coach Mike Gillespie, who in 30 seasons of guiding Division I teams has ushered easily more than 100 players into professional baseball.

“His rhythm is spectacular, he’s pretty much quiet [at the plate], he’s calm, balanced and has uncommon strength,” said Gillespie, who watched the Big West Conference Player of the Year go 14 for 19 in his final four games, including five for five in the season finale to better the previous UCI batting average record by 39 points. “He has this strength that enables him to have really good bat speed, so when he does square up a ball, it comes off the bat like a big guy, like a major leaguer.”

Hiura earned All-American and All-CIF honors at Valencia High in Valencia, but was undrafted and largely uncoveted before choosing UCI over one other school as his collegiate home.

He hit a home run in his first official at-bat as an Anteater and went on to bat .330 with seven homers, 18 doubles and 52 RBIs on his way to being named Big West Freshman Field Player of the Year and making several freshman All-American teams in 2015. He started all 56 games, playing left field and center field.

In 2016, he hit .358 in 53 games with seven homers and 41 RBIs, but an elbow injury early in conference play relegated him to designated hitter duties the rest of the season. The injury also undeniably contributed to struggles at the plate the rest of the campaign, though he has consistently refused to cite his elbow as an excuse.

After shining on an international summer tour with USA Baseball’s national collegiate team, he had a career-high 88 hits in 199 at-bats in 2017. He also produced career highs in dingers (eight), runs (48), doubles (24 to tie a school record), stolen bases (nine), and walks (50), while striking out a career-low 38 times.

While serving exclusively at designated hitter (a planned transition back to the field never materialized, largely due to precaution against reinjuring the elbow), the Golden Spikes Award semifinalist had hits in 49 of 56 games with 30 multi-hit contests. He lashed at least one extra-base hit in 29 games. He failed to reach base in just two games and finished his career having reached in 156 of 165 games. He slugged a UCI-record .693 this season to foster an eye-popping 1.260 OPS.

His 54 career doubles and 22 intentional walks are both program records, while he ranks second in career batting average (.375) and homers (22). He amassed 135 career RBIs, 236 hits and scored 129 runs.

Hiura, who said he is one year away from his plan to obtain a bachelor’s degree in business economics, said a disappointing season for UCI (22-33 and a seventh-place conference finish), as well as the ’Eaters’ failure to make an NCAA Regional during his three seasons, prompted no regrets about his time at the school.

But he is enthusiastic about his imminent transition to the pro ranks, which includes, in the frenetic days before the draft, frequent interaction with representatives from MLB clubs, as well as recurring interview requests by the media.

“It has definitely been a dream of mine to make it in the major leagues,” Hiura said. “With that opportunity possibly happening, it’s definitely really exciting and something that I’m really looking forward to and wanting to succeed at.”

Hiura sees himself as a second baseman, but noted that his outfield experience may prove to be a benefit in his ultimate quest for playing time. He said his goal is to avoid elbow surgery, but if that becomes necessary once he begins throwing again, he will get through it and move on.

Gillespie believes Hiura’s future is bright.

“I really do believe that he is a major leaguer and I think he’s a major leaguer for a long time,” Gillespie said.

More and more, others, having born witness to his greatness, are espousing the same notion.

barry.faulkner@latimes.com

Twitter: @BarryFaulkner5