When you spend two years of your young adult life helping those less fortunate, adversity takes on a different perspective.

It was only a few weeks ago that Hawai'i shortstop Eli Christensen's batting average was .149. But the faith he discovered during his church mission out of high school has helped him on the field.

"You don't get discouraged as easy," Christensen said. "You understand that life is full of mistakes and that you have to just deal with them. I think that helps on the field, especially in baseball, considering you fail so much. You realize what's either important or what you have to get done to correct your mistakes."

It didn't take long for the senior from Provo, Utah, to make the necessary adjustments at the plate. He found his stroke — as did everyone else — against Chicago State, lifting his batting average from .149 to .246. But to prove it wasn't just Chicago State's pitching, he went 6 for 9 against Arizona, which held UH as a team to a .247 average in the three-game series, to spring his average to .300.

Christensen served his mission in Connecticut, doing a lot of community service projects.

"We either teach people or help out in soup kitchens, or go help repairing or building homes," he said.

Out of high school, he went to Salt Lake City Community College first, but then decided the time was right to go on his mission.

"I wasn't going to (at first) because my coaches said some scouts were interested in me and wanted to see me play that year," he said. "I was leaning toward a professional career in baseball, but I think I just realized what would be most important in life."

Christensen admits that might have been his window to pro ball. Moreover, the years spent on his mission added extra years to his college life. He just turned 25, making him less of a prospect now being that he will be older than most first-year pros. But he has accepted his fate.

"If it's meant to be for me to play professionally, then I'd have the opportunity after the mission," he said. "So I just figured if it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't."

It seems Christensen has always been tested. Even coming to Hawai'i was no straight shot. He originally committed to Texas State, which later changed its mind and pulled its scholarship offer. He was going to walk on at Utah before UH came calling.

When he got here, it was like this season. He started off slow with the bat, but came on strong at the end. He was batting .206 about a year ago when Western Athletic Conference play was about to start. He hit .392 against WAC opponents, bringing his overall average to .301.

"Actually, I'm usually an early starter," he said of his JC years. "It's one of those things that just happens."

He also has overcome an elbow injury he sustained during warmups at last year's regional. He ended up missing the last three games of the season. Besides not playing summer ball, he refrained from throwing during the fall. Earlier this season, some of his throws to first weren't as crisp as they were last year. But his faith will allow him to correct himself. It started Sunday when his throws started showing some zip of the past.

"I'm sure it had some effect," Christensen said of the injury. "Not being able to throw across an infield for five, six months, it's kind of tough. I just gotta mentally get through it and not worry about anything happening to my arm."

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.