The baseball has a different sound when it comes of the bat of David Marcus.

It's a crack that immediately draws attention. It's the thump of ash hitting horsehide that means only one thing: the ball is sizzling somewhere — and quickly.

Marcus, a native of Whitby Ontario, Canada and a junior at California (Pa.) University, is having a historic season for the Prospect League and for Butler.

The BlueSox first baseman is second in the league in batting with a .381 average and leads the league in home runs with eight and RBI with 33.

No player in Prospect League history has won the Triple Crown.

“It's fun to watch Dave,” said Butler hitting coach and Butler native Cody Herald, who also played for the BlueSox for two seasons. “He has a nice swing. People always say they love watching a lefty swing because they have great swings and he has it.”

Marcus merely shrugs when asked about his prodigious numbers.

He's also surprised to hear he is so close to perhaps winning the coveted Triple Crown.

“That's pretty cool if I can keep that pace going,” Marcus said. “There's a lot of good players in this league, so they'll probably be coming for me.”

Pitchers have been coming for him all season — with little success.

Marcus got off to a bit of the slow start with the BlueSox this season with 10 strikeouts in his first 11 games.

In the 116 at-bats since, he's struck out just seven times.

Marcus also has 22 multi-hit games and has gone hitless just seven times — three of those coming in the first week of the season.

“One thing with Dave is he kind of goes in there with no emotion,” Herald said. “He jokes around in the dugout and says, 'Low heart rate. No need for a high heart rate.' And you can tell when he's in there. Nothing fazes him.

“There's no pitch he can't handle,” Herald added.

Marcus came to the BlueSox off a good junior season with the Vulcans.

He batted .391 with a team-leading 15 home runs and 62 RBI in just 156 at-bats. His good eye at the plate was also evident as he struck out just 24 times and drew 19 walks.

“I definitely take a lot of pride in being a pure hitter — not just hitting for power or hitting for average,” Marcus said. “Every game I just try to adjust to the pitching.”

Marcus said early in the Prospect League season he put undo pressure on himself.

He said adjusting to Butler, a new league and a new team affected him adversely at the plate.

Then, everything just clicked and his calm personality took over.

“I just wanted to produce for the team. As a middle-of-the-order guy, I put a lot of pressure on myself to help the team score runs and win,” Marcus said. “I got off to slow start and I just had to relax. It's been going well now since.”

Herald has marveled at the hitting chops of Butler's newest star.

Herald himself was a force at the plate for the BlueSox in his two season, batting .283 with a team-leading 36 RBI last season.

But Herald said Marcus is on a whole other level, particularly when it comes to his pure power.

“I wish I had pop like that,” Herald said. “But God didn't bless me like he blessed Dave.

“I haven't seen a player like Dave since I've been here,” Herald added. “Not someone with that kind of pop to all fields.”

Scouts are starting to notice.

The Philadelphia Phillies had a scout on hand to watch a player on an opposing team, but once the scout caught a glimpse of Marcus and the two home runs he hit against Jamestown, the scout added the Butler first baseman to his list.

Marcus, though, isn't concerning himself with who is watching, just who he is playing against and how he can help his team win.

“I'm just looking to have the best at-bat I can every time I go up there,” Marcus said. “I just try to help the team win. That's what matters the most, whether it is having a good at-bat or playing good defense at first.”