CASEY MARTIN

Lonoke High School senior shortstop Casey Martin has frustrated opponents on the field and in the batter’s box through consistency and fundamentals. This season, the 18-year-old hit lead-off and gathered an astounding .595 batting average with 10 home runs, 13 doubles, six triples and 32 runs batted in. He added 34 stolen bases as well, and even pitched some for the Jackrabbits. On the mound, Martin went 5-1 with four saves and a 1.52 earned-run average. This versatility and broad skillset is why Martin has been named the 2017 All-Arkansas Preps Player of the Year in Baseball. Martin was also named Arkansas’ 2016-2017 Gatorade Player of the Year for baseball. First-year Lonoke head baseball coach Chris Foor said Martin is skilled at nearly all facets of the game and has the five tools of baseball: hitting for average, hitting for power, speed, arm strength and fielding. Before becoming coach for Lonoke, Foor coached Martin some when he was on a summer team as a freshman. Foor noticed a lot of improvement in Martin’s game from his freshman to senior seasons. “His hand speed and his strength have increased; his speed has increased. The thing that I’m most proud of him about is his maturity, as far as a leader and bringing everybody with him, as opposed to just separating himself,” the coach said. Foor added that Martin would often be the first one to arrive at practice and the last to leave, getting flustered if he didn’t beat the head coach to the 6:45 a.m. workouts. Martin honed his ball skills at an early age alongside his brother Cody, who is two years older. “My biggest influence is my brother. Even though my dad helped me get to where I am, my brother was always there showing me the right way on the field from when I was little to now,” Martin said. “He’ll still critique me and help make me better. Days when we had off, he would play catch with me and [help me] take ground balls in the yard. He’s impacted my life bigger than he’ll ever know.” Their father, Keith Martin, said it’s Casey’s determination that has propelled him to success. “He’s very determined. If he gets his mind set on something, he’s going to do it one way or another. Everything he does is like that. He’s got a good work ethic when it’s [something] he really wants to do,” he said. Casey’s mother, Jennifer, added that Casey has even worked two jobs during the baseball season this past year. Casey has chosen to continue his career as a shortstop at the University of Arkansas, where he plans on studying sports management. “I chose Arkansas because

I fell in love with the facilities and the coaches and all the people around me while I visited,” he said. “They were really supportive about keeping me healthy and continuing my career after college, if that’s what God has in store for me.” WHY HE WON:

[It] means a lot to make the player of the year. [It] shows how hard I’ve worked to get to this point in my life.”