“It’s my last year and I have put a lot of time in,” the Carlyle, Ill., native said. “Things are just going well for me right now.”

Head Coach Rob McDonald said Isaak is a great leader and has gained the respect of his teammates.

“He is a very consistent guy,” McDonald said. “As a hitter he is very balanced. He is just a very solid hitter and doesn’t have any weaknesses. He is an intelligent guy and can make adjustments.”

Isaak is not the only one receiving high rankings this season. Redshirt sophomore outfielder Ty Stetson is ranked sixth in the nation and first in the OVC for base on balls with 35 and 17th in the nation and first in the OVC for triples with four.

“It’s a good honor and it feels good,” Stetson said. “But the goal is to always help put the team in a position to win.”

Like Isaak, Stetson never makes being ranked a goal, he simply tries to get on base every time he is up to bat.

“If a triple happens, it happens,” he said. “(I’ve just been trying) to put the ball in play and hopefully things happen. So far this season they have.”

Stetson’s triples are nothing but positive in the eyes of McDonald.

“I think he has done a great job as our lead off hitter,” McDonald said. “He gets on base a lot, he walks a lot and gets hit by a pitch if they throw it inside; he’s done a really nice job. It’s not just been the triples with Ty, he’s done a really good job as our lead off guy.”

Other ‘Breds working their way up the rankings are junior infielder Brandon Elliott, who is 14th in the nation and first in the OVC for sacrifice bunts, and Will Handlin has the lowest percentage of walks allowed per game in the OVC.

It’s not only individuals getting recognized, but the team as a whole. The Breds are ranked first in the OVC in doubles, triples and players hit by pitch, second in runs, hits, double plays and sacrifice bunts and third in runs, RBIs, on base percentage, batting average and ERA.

“I think we’re a good hitting team,” McDonald said. “I always tell our guys that I would rather have a bunch of guys who are hitting doubles than a bunch of home runs. We certainly fit that bill.”

McDonald said guys who tend to hit a bunch of home runs could be rally killers due to the fact they often swing and miss.

“Usually guys who drive the ball into the gaps and hit a lot of doubles usually have some power and are good average hitters,” he said. “No question I aspire for our guys to be (that kind of player).”

Isaak and Stetson both said the team has put a lot of work into hitting.

“We’ve got some guys who can really swing a bat,” Isaak said. “Everyone on the roster can provide hits and we’ve put it all together to have a good season.”

Stetson agreed.

“In the off season and this season so far the team has put a lot of work into making sure our hitting keeps getting better,” Stetson said. “We can always improve so that is a good sign.”

The double plays are certainly a team effort between the pitchers and the infielders, McDonald said.

“Our infielders, we’ve got guys who can handle a baseball and throw quickly,” he said. “Of course our pitchers to get them ground balls need to throw ground ball pitches. That is definitely a compliment to our pitching and to our infielders.”