Martin earns 1st preseason All-America accolade
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas sophomore infielder Casey Martin was named a preseason Third-Team All-American Monday afternoon by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
The Lonoke native enters the 2019 season coming off of one of the best freshman campaigns in Razorback history. He will head into his second season in Fayetteville as one of the top sophomores in the country.
Martin led the Razorbacks with a .345 batting average last season, the best of all freshman in the Southeastern Conference.
He also set an Arkansas freshman record in hit with 87, while starting 62 games mainly at third base.
Sophomore outfielder Heston Kjerstad was named the SEC Freshman of the Year last season ahead of Martin. The Amarillo, Texas, native finished his freshman season with a
.332 average and team-leading marks in home runs, with 14, and RBIs, with 58.
Kjerstad and Martin were each named to the AllSEC Second Team and SEC All-Freshman team. Second baseman Carson Shaddy was the only Razorback to make the All-SEC First Team.
Shaddy was one of eight Major League Baseball Draft picks in the first 17 rounds from Arkansas to sign professionally after last season. Redshirt junior starting pitcher Isaiah Campbell, drafted in the
24th round, and redshirt senior catcher Zack Plunkett, drafted in the 37th round, opted to return for another season.
Kjerstad, Martin and junior center fielder Dominic Fletcher are the team’s only returning starters in the field. Kjerstad is expected to switch from left field to right field and Martin will move from third base to shortstop. Junior closer Matt Cronin headlines the bullpen after picking up 14 saves with a 3.54 ERA last season in 48 1/3 innings.
Arkansas finished 48-21 in the 2018 season. The Razorbacks were one out away from winning the national championship at the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.
Martin hit .357 at the College World Series. He collected
10 of his 19 postseason hits in Omaha and made the College World Series All-Tournament Team.
Arkansas will open the 2019 season on Feb. 15 with a threegame series against Eastern Illinois at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville. The Panthers were
23-31 in 2018.