On Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011, Central Bucks West senior Mathew Martens was recognized at a special news conference for signing a letter of intent to accept a baseball scholarship to Marist College.
Mathew Martens – Marist College (Baseball)
Major: Undecided but possibly business
Final list of colleges: Marist, Delaware
Reasons for choosing Marist: “I really like the coaches, and I also liked the campus a lot. Delaware is closer, and it’s warmer, so I was giving up a little bit with that. It wasn’t the easiest decision, but I feel good about it.”
What was the progression that led you to playing collegiate baseball? “I really had confidence after my 10th grade year when I made varsity because I did well. I did better than I thought I was going to do that year, and I pitched more than I thought I was going to.
“I worked hard with my brother and my dad. They pushed me in the gym, and I started to throw harder. I realized it was possible.
“It is really exciting. I’ve always wanted to pitch in college and hopefully at the next level too.”
Coach Jim Ertel says: “He’s a pitcher, and he’s a pretty good hitter too, but I think the thing that stands out about him is he knew what he wanted to do since 10th grade. He knew he wanted to be a college baseball player and – if he’s fortunate enough – maybe get to the professional level. He had a goal in mind from day one, and he worked towards it. He listened to us and took into account what he wanted, but he also did a ton of work on his own, and if anybody is going to be any good in a sport, you have to do your work on your own. You can’t have a coach standing over you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The fact that he’s done so much on his own effort-wise and the fact that he’s listened and tried to put into play the stuff we’ve worked with him – he’s getting good results.
“His strength as a pitcher is the movement on his fastball and his ability to throw the changeup over the plate. He needs to work on his breaking ball and his curveball some more, but his fastball has a lot of movement, and his changeup is his second best pitch. He’s a good hitter – he’s got power, he’s got some pop in his bat. The people who have contacted me over the years – I’ve told them, ‘He can hit for you too.’ His main position is pitcher, but he might be able to swing the bat for a team too. You always want a lefthanded bat in the lineup, and Marty is a good lefthanded pitcher and lefthanded hitter.”
About Mathew:
Favorite food: Spaghetti and meatballs
Favorite music: Anything from hip hop to country
Favorite movie: The Town
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