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Baseball community comes out to support former North player battling cancer

Posted: 8:48 PM May 22, 2012
Reporter: Megan Lowry

Throw a Strike at Cancer baseball benefit
Baseball community comes out to support former North player battling cancer
Throw a Strike at Cancer baseball benefit: 5PM

EAU CLAIRE, Wis (WEAU) The Eau Claire North and Eau Claire Memorial baseball teams battled for a Big Rivers Conference championship.

But the crosstown rivalry was put aside to support a former North baseball player who is waging his own battle with brain cancer.

In Eau Claire's baseball community, former North pitcher Phil Isaksson is known for his wicked curve ball

"He was a very talented player and probably will go down as one of the best players in school history" says North baseball coach Bob Johnson

But it's a different kinda of curve ball that is proving to be Phil's biggest challenge.
8 weeks ago the 23-year old was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor

"The treatments haven't hit me too bad yet so i'm just trying to do fun things well I'm still feeling well." says Phil Isaksson
"That's whats great you here that smile over the phone and you know he's is over there battling." says Johnson

His former coach and friend, bob Johnson, says he wanted to make sure Phil knew he wasn't facing this battle alone.

"We wanted to do something for Phil and last week he just said he was ok with what ever we wanted to do as long as we kept it simple and the focus about baseball" says Johnson

So as his former teams plays his former teammates, his freinds showed their support in the stands.

"He was one of my favorite teammate's so outgoing and personable and just a fun person to be around so if there is anything i can do to help I'll do it." says former teammate Daniel Button

Daniel Button and other former huskies wore t-shirts in Phil's honor and collected donations throughout the game.

"I'm just so overwhelmed so many people still care and that they want to help is more than I could have hoped to expect " says Isaksson