On Wednesday, No. 4 Oregon State begins play in the Pac-12 baseball tournament.

They'll be counting on some big performances from junior outfielder Jacob Melton, who leads the team with 15 home runs.

As a Fisheries and Wildlife sciences major, he also stands out in another way.

Right now, Melton has two clear goals: help his team win it all in Omaha, and then continue pursuing a professional baseball career.

"It's kind of what I've poured all of my time and energy into,” Melton said. “It's something that I'm extremely passionate about and that's obviously the ultimate goal for me."

He has big goals off the field as well. And they all relate to how he grew up in South Medford.

"Growing up hunting and fishing with my dad was something we bonded over. I feel like that really clears my mind and I can kind of focus on myself as a person."

But something has happened to the fisheries he grew up going to.

"Just with the current trends of climate change and human encroachment on the rivers and stuff, the returns of salmon and steelhead have dwindled here in the Northwest."

Organizations like the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife are trying to combat the issue. After baseball, Melton wants to join their team.

"I want to do some work with ODFW and work with salmon conservation and then, after that, hopefully get the chance to guide and take people out to have the same experiences I did growing up."

Of course, Melton loves playing in front of 4,000 fans at Goss Stadium.

But he’s just as comfortable in Oregon’s pristine wilderness.

"Definitely at home on the river. That's the place I really love to be."

And he wants to use his platform to help keep it pristine.