JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARBULLETIN.COM UH second baseman Isaac Omura is making a run at hitting .400. He sits at a team-high .399 entering this weekend's series with Nevada. He also leads the team in seven other offensive categories, including home runs and slugging percentage.

Second to None

Hawaii second baseman Isaac Omura
leads the team in almost every major
offensive category

Isaac Omura is a soft-spoken, modest young man who does a heck of a job playing second base for the Hawaii Rainbows.

He also swings a mean bat from the left side.

Nevada at Hawaii When: Today, tomorrow and Saturday, 6:35 p.m. Where: Les Murakami Stadium TV: KFVE, Channel 5 Radio: KKEA, 1420-AM Tickets: $3-6 Parking: $3

Don't be fooled by his outward demeanor or lack of rah-rah emotion on the field. There is an inner fire that drives Omura to improve, succeed and contribute in whatever positive way he can.

"I'm really low key, but what I do and what our team does is really important to me. I'm always very serious about winning," said Omura, a junior out of Mid-Pacific Institute.

Besides being part of the double-play combination with shortstop Joe Spiers, Omura has the hottest bat of any Rainbow since the second week of the season after going 3-for-14 in the opening series against Alabama. Since then he is 62-for-149 (.416).

After his first two UH seasons, Omura's career batting average was .307. Flirting with the .400 mark all season is a different story. He credits this year's success with understanding himself and his limitations a lot better and having a better feel for how pitchers pitch.

"I'm going up to the plate with a better plan. I'm not a big strong guy. I'm not going to overpower balls. I have to make sure I get a good pitch to hit and get a good swing off every time," said Omura.

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"Isaac was very good last year. He has just been more consistent this year. The last couple of years he could be streaky, but Isaac has just plugged along at a good clip all year," said Trapasso.

Omura, a contact, line-drive type of hitter, leads the Rainbows in average (.399), hits (65), doubles (16), home runs (6), runs batted in (39), total bases (103), slugging percentage (.632) and sacrifice flies (3).

No one would have bet before the season he would be the home run leader, but there is no question about any of his roundtrippers at Les Murakami Stadium. They were shots that cleared both walls, one not touching down until it landed on the exit road.

"Isaac has always had some power, but being consistent means a couple more home runs. He has great hands that separate him offensively and defensively," said Trapasso. "It is obvious his hands are great tools defensively, but that's why he is a great hitter as well. His swing always seems to be in the plane."

Omura, who has hit safely in 33 of 43 games, leads the team with 24 multi-hit games and 11 multi-RBI games. He does not let an oh-fer game bother him.

"I have a different mind-set this year. I was confident that I would be put out there as a third-year veteran. I don't feel a lot of pressure. There is no sense putting pressure on myself to get results. I'll take what comes," said Omura.

"My plan is to be more focused each at-bat. It's me against the pitcher, not me against nine guys on the field. If I hit a line drive and it is caught, I still feel I had a good at-bat. I don't think about the average. I just take one at-bat, one pitch at a time."

A psychology major, Omura's goal is to be a dentist. He says pro ball has always been a dream, but he wants to make sure he takes care of things in the classroom first.