NIU first baseman Scott Simon has been seeing the ball well this season – so well, he said, that pitches look like beach balls at times.

The sophomore slugger hit three home runs last week and drove in 10 runs en route to being named MAC West Division Player of the Week on Monday for the second time this season.

Simon will have his power on display as the Huskies (16-15 overall) host Eastern Illinois (10-18) for a 3 p.m. start today at Ralph McKinzie Field.

The MAC leader in RBIs (48) and doubles (15) is ranked sixth in RBIs and 14th in doubles nationally. He is nine RBIs away from breaking the NIU single-season RBI mark of 57 held by Joe Mazzuca last season.

“He’s been outstanding this year,” NIU coach Ed Mathey said. “He’s ranked sixth in the nation in RBIs; that’s pretty good. He’s taken advantage of every opportunity he’s had.”

Simon hasn’t experienced a sophomore slump, as he is hitting .402 on the year mainly because he keeps a positive attitude during every at-bat, he said.

“Whatever negative happens, I just let it go,” said Simon, who enjoys playing guitar to help him relax. “Every at-bat is a new at-bat; I don’t let it carry over. That’s what helps you stay out of slumps because even if you’re not going well, if you stay up and positive, you can get through it.”

The Huskies’ clean-up hitter has been clearing the basepaths this season, and if the ball keeps looking the way it does to him, he’ll etch a spot in the Huskies’ record books.