The saying goes that hard work beats talent when talent does not work hard. Suffolk Christian Academy sophomore Shawn Moose has both bases covered.

The hard-working and talented baseball star turned in a phenomenal string of performances on the mound and at the plate in three games from May 6-9. Moose is the Duke Automotive-Suffolk News-Herald Player of the Week.

“I was really happy,” Moose said about his recent play. “All the glory goes to God, first of all. He’s somehow made it work out to where I can play while I’m homeschooled.”

In a 19-0 May 6 home victory over Oaktree Academy, Moose went 4-for-4, with two doubles, a triple, five runs batted in and three runs scored. Pitching the last inning, he gave up no runs, no hits and threw two strikeouts.

Though just the first of three strong examples, the game exemplifies the season Moose had overall in his third year on the team.

“I couldn’t be more proud of him,” said his father, Tommy Moose. “His mom’s the same way.”

Shawn said he was “extremely happy” with his 2014 play. “I hit the ball well this year, so pretty much, when I hit the ball well, my life is going pretty well.”

In a 25-1 blowout of host Gateway Christian School on May 8, he went 3-for-3, with a two-run home run, four RBIs and four runs scored. He threw two innings, allowing no runs and throwing three strikeouts.

“My favorite part about the whole week was hitting the home run, because I don’t have many home runs,” Moose said, noting his last one came at age 12.

“I’ve gotten a lot stronger, I feel like,” he said. “I don’t think there was any way I would have hit one out last year.”

Moose knows what he wants — to play college baseball. And he’s already drawn interest. Preparing himself, he hits off his backyard tee regularly and has improved his hitting and throwing power with a lot of push-ups, sit-ups, weightlifting and long tosses from the centerfield fence to his dad at home plate.

Also working on his 60-yard dash, he is nearing the college standard, which he said is 6.8 seconds.

In a 13-6 home win against visiting Summit Christian Academy on May 9, he threw two and two-thirds innings, allowing only one run and striking out six to win on the mound. He also went 2-for-4, with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored.

“He knew that those games were very important,” Knights head coach Orel Schleeper said. “He stepped up his play to a totally different level.”

Noting Moose’s similarity to former Suffolk Christian star and Los Angeles Dodgers draftee Josh Henderson, Schleeper said, “If anybody wants to see a perfect swing, they need to watch Shawn hit off a tee.”