ORLANDO, Fla. - Waterloo native Abby McClain has earned a trip to Disney World, even if it is just a 20-minute drive from her dormitory room at the University of Central Florida.

McClain is nearing the end of an outstanding sophomore softball season for the Division I Knights. The former Waterloo West High valedictorian enters Thursday's Conference USA tournament with a .335 batting average (second on the team) and ranks among C-USA's top five in hits, total bases and doubles.

She has put up those numbers despite playing with a torn labrum in her non-throwing, left shoulder that will require surgery.

"I've been very fortunate this season," McClain said. "I think all the work I've put in with my dad (Kevin McClain) has finally paid off, and I'm really glad that he's been able to see this.

"He's worked with me my whole career from when we were using the soft, squishy balls so we didn't get hurt until this past winter when I went home."

Despite more than 1,000 miles of separation from home, family ties remain strong for McClain. She talks daily with her parents on the phone and they come watch her play during spring break and UCF's trips to Tennessee and Oklahoma. Abby's grandmother, Nancy McClain, winters in Florida and routinely attends her granddaughter's home games.

"It's really great to have that support system in the stands and to know that my family would do that for me," McClain said.

After two summers of varsity softball at West High and three summers playing for the Minnesota Irish Gold ASA travel team, McClain's decision to attend UCF was as much academic as athletic.

"I really felt like I'd fit in here, and I want to work with dolphins," McClain said. "UCF has a lot of programs with Sea World and a lot of the marine parks and research centers."

As a freshman, McClain saw immediate playing time. She was a utility player who consistently hit in the No. 9 slot, and after early struggles began to develop during the postseason when she went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored in her team's C-USA championship win over Houston.

Then came an NCAA regional meeting with No. 1 Florida and the nation's top-rated pitcher, Stacey Nelson. After UCF upset Florida 1-0, McClain recorded her team's lone hit against Nelson in the rematch, which the Gators won to advance to the NCAA Super Regionals.

"It's cool knowing that you're facing a person who's probably going to be in the World Series, probably going to go pro after this," McClain said.

McClain was named to the C-USA All-Freshman team, and after a strong offseason was poised for a big sophomore campaign. Then in February, she was dealt a setback.

"I was swinging and my shoulder kind of came out and back in," McClain said. "I didn't think anything of it - I've never had a shoulder injury before. After the next day, it started hurting a little bit more and we got it checked out."

It turned out McClain had a torn labrum. She decided to play though the injury and postpone surgery until after the season.

"She's a trooper," UCF head coach Renee Luers-Gillispie said. "Most kids would have given it up and said, 'This is too much pain.'"

Luers-Gillispie believes the injury has allowed McClain to further develop as a hitter.

"Last year, she had a tendency to really go after that outside pitch and she wasn't able to get a good pitch that she could drive," the UCF coach said. "With her injury, it forced her to bring the ball more on the plate, because it hurt every time she tried to hit an outside pitch.

"She realized that she couldn't go after those pitches anymore, and as a result she was getting better pitches to hit. … It's strange how those things happen, but now she's just that much more of a disciplined hitter."

On April 5, McClain recorded a school record eighth three-hit game. In addition to her strong offense, she has been a versatile defender who's played catcher, outfield and second base.

"She can basically play anywhere except pitch," Luers-Gillispie said. "We thought when we had our senior catching, that (McClain) would DP in that spot, but she's such a great athlete defensively that we had to have her on the field somewhere."

McClain's shoulder has begun to wear down over the past two weeks, making catching more difficult.

"Until last week, it has been very manageable," McClain said. "It's starting to get tired and get weaker now. I'm just praying that we finish out this season and it works out well for me in the end."

The sophomore's toughness and what her coach describes as a magnetic personality has helped her gain the respect of her teammates.

"Her teammates love her personality, they love the way she plays," Luers-Gillispie said. "Even as a sophomore I think that she's a leader. … I think with Abby, she's just the kind of player that the other players follow.

"They want to be like Abby. When Abby gets a hit, then they're going to get a hit. They just feel that intensity and that desire out of her. She's such a great role-model for other student-athletes, not just on the field but also in the classroom."