Jesuit’s Latest Lefty Ace Flourishes with Finesse

Isett is small in stature, but uses craftiness and tenacity to produce big results

When he’s on his game, Luke Isett is as much of an artist as a pitcher, painting corners of the plate and spinning baseballs with pinpoint choreography.

The Jesuit Dallas senior doesn’t overpower hitters but finds his groove by throwing strikes, trusting his defense, and limiting contact.

“He’s not going to blow it by somebody. He’s getting the strikeouts, but it’s not with a 90-mph fastball,” said Jesuit head coach Brian Jones. “He uses his tools to the best of his ability.”

Isett is the latest in a line of dominant Jesuit lefthanders in the past decade, including Kyle Muller (now with the Oakland Athletics) and Jacob Palisch. Isett compares himself more to Jack Lynch, now in the St. Louis Cardinals organization, in terms of style and mindset on the mound.

“I’ve always looked up to those guys,” Isett said. “It doesn’t really matter how big or strong you are as long as you do whatever you can to get outs.”

Isett pitched primarily at the junior-varsity level as a sophomore, then started his junior season with 17 consecutive shutout innings over three during nondistrict tournament games to claim a spot in the starting rotation.

Since then, Isett’s consistency has been remarkable. Through March, he had a career record of 15-2. In 10 of those 17 appearances, he pitched at least five innings without allowing any earned runs.

“I just worry about getting ahead and staying confident. If something goes wrong, I just put it behind me and keep laser focused. I don’t lose confidence out there,” Isett said. “I try to pitch fast and keep my defense in the game. When I do that, it leads me to go longer in games.”

Jones credits Isett’s patience and ability to mix pitches. His specialty is a looping curveball that makes his fastball seem faster than it really is.

“He’s your typical lefty. He’s smaller in stature and doesn’t have the physical presence,” Jones said. “He’s crafty with a good breaking ball. He attacks the zone and gets guys out.”

Isett plans to pitch next season at Navarro College in Corsicana. But first, he hopes to lead the Rangers on an extended postseason run this spring.

“Being a senior, we have a young team this year. I’ve tried to step into that leadership role and set an example,” he said. “Winning games is most important to me, but I also want to leave a legacy here.”