Editor’s note: Top Cat is a weekly series taking an in-depth look at Eastern’s top athlete from the previous week. Winners are selected just once. Selections are made by The Daily Eastern News sports staff.

Bret Pignatiello definitely walks, talks and hits like the team captain of Eastern’s baseball team should.

“Leadership wise, he’s as competitive as we get, but I’m more impressed with how he’s handled himself at the plate,” Eastern head coach Jim Schmitz said.

Pignatiello became the first Eastern player to receive National Player of the Week accolades after batting .524 (11-21) and hitting five home runs in six games last week against Saint Louis, Indiana State and Indiana-Purdue at Fort Wayne.

The impressive stretch has lifted Pignatiello’s average 54 points to .346 and if the Panthers power hitter keeps this powers surge up he could be the third player to finish the season at .400 or above since Eastern joined the Ohio Valley Conference in 1996.

“I don’t feel pressure to lead the team in hitting. It’s just a job that I have to do,” Pignatiello said.

After lettering in football, basketball and baseball at Andrew High School in Tinley Park, Pignatiello had many schools looking to receive his services, but choose Eastern mostly because of Schmitz.

“I had a couple offers form some other places and coach Schmitz gave me a good offer,” Schmitz said.

The key to his breakout senior season would be Schmitz’s decision to start the season switching Pignatiello and senior outfielder Kirk Walters in the meat of the batting order.

“Last year I batted fourth and I don’t think I saw as many good pitches to hit,” Pignatiello said. “With Kirk behind me its sort of like a safety blanket because who wants to walk the three hitter to get to the four hitter?”

The family bloodline is very strong in the Pignatiello family when it comes to talent on the diamond including a father that played at Carroll College, while cousin Carmen Pignatiello is currently a left-handed pitcher for the Lansing Lugnuts which is the A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs organization.

Like all proficient power hitters, Pignatiello has a specific game plan when entering the batters box.

“I know as a left handed hitter, when (the pitcher) gets ahead of me that’s when they try to throw change ups,” Pignatiello said.

After hitting his 10th home run of the season Tuesday against Illinois State in the Panthers 23rd game of the season, Pignatiello has 32 more games to hit 11 home runs to tie Eastern’s career home run lead of 39 set by Matt Marzec 1996-2000). The home run that would break the career record would also tie the single-season record of 22 by Tim Pyznarski (1981).

Pignatiello only needs to raise his career batting average five points to .318 in order to crack the Top 10 in career batting average at Eastern.

However, Pignatiello has only 22 RBIs because the bases are usually empty when the senior comes to the plate.

“It would nicer to have people on base when I hit (home runs) and get more RBIs,” Pignatiello said.

Pignatiello still loves to play the game, and love to be in the batter’s box in situations that would give Panther fans heart attacks.

“I love the thrill of a win, but I really don’t like the games where you win 21-6,” Pignatiello said. “I like the 9-8 games where it comes down to the end because of the adrenaline rush.”