Shon Plack
Kansas Scouting Director

As the 2016 calendar year winds down, we will countdown the top twenty stories read in Kansas in 2016. 

Mateo Martinez became the first player in Kansas' 2019 class to announce his school.  We had a chance to ask him a few questions about his recruiting process.  Here is the question and answer that ran on September 28.

 

#16 Q&A with Wichita State Commit C Mateo Martinez (Campus, 2019)

Wed September 28, 2016

Shon Plack
Kansas Scouting Director

Mateo Martinez (Campus, 2019) has committed to Wichita State.  Martinez is a 6-foot-1 180-pound right-handed hitting catcher and right-handed pitcher.  He becomes the first player in Kansas' 2019 to decide on a school.

Martinez attended the Kansas Underclass Games at the end of May.  At the event, Martinez ran a 6.91 60, and a 4.56 home to first.  He has an 84 mph exit velo. 

He showed an athletic set up with no wasted moves in his load at the plate.  He has a short stride and showed some power to pull side. He has strong, quick hands. 

Behind the plate, Martinez had pop times between 2.02 and 2.24, with a quick catch and throw.  His positional velo of 76 mph was one of top velos for the event for catchers.  He makes accurate and strong throws to second.

On the mound, Martinez topped at 82 mph with his fastball and showed a tight 11-to-5 breaking ball at 70-71 mph.  He has a high-three quarters release with a slight tuck at balance point.  He has a strong and durable frame with loose arm action. 

This fall, Martinez has been working out with the Kansas City Royals Amateur Scout Team, a team in which he will be playing for next summer.  Martinez is also playing football this fall and will be playing basketball this winter before suiting up for the Campus HS baseball team this spring. 

Here is a look inside the recruiting process for Mateo Martinez.  

PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process? 

Martinez: I really had no idea what the recruiting process was, so I winged it.   I will say it went a lot smoother and faster than I ever expected.  I like to think all my hard work has paid off.  You know, show up at showcases and reflect the true player that I am.  But in whole I just feel really blessed.

PBR: Was it as expected?  Easy/Difficult? 

Martinez: Easier than I ever imagined.

PBR: Did location or distance from home play a factor in your decision? 

Matinez: Absolutely!  I knew I wanted to stay close to home.  My family is a big part of my baseball life and my college experience is defiantly part of that journey and I want my family there to continue their support.

PBR: Where did Wichita State first see you?

Martinez: I was scouted at the PBR Showcase at the T-Bones stadium. 

PBR: How did your relationship develop with them? 

Martinez: PBR was a major factor in developing the relationship I have with WSU.  Without their help the relationship would not have started so early in my career.

PBR: Who is the best player you have faced in your state, and why?

Martinez: I think it would have to be Andrew Stratman he threw 92 mph and that's the fastest I've ever faced at bat so I was really impressed!

PBR: What advice would you give to young baseball players striving to get where you are?

Martinez: To work hard and never let anybody hold you back.  You can do amazing things if you put your mind to it.

PBR: What do you do in the offseason to keep yourself in baseball shape and prepare for the upcoming season? 

Martinez: Well, I’m a multi-athlete, I play high school football, basketball and baseball.  So practicing everyday all year round keeps me in great shape.  Playing the different sports works on different muscles and different work out routines so it’s great for me as an athlete.  I do however train all year around for baseball.  I regularly work out with my pitching Coach Matt Jordan and hitting instructor Jeff Oldenburg during the off season.  As well as taking at least a 100 swings every other day.

PBR: What is the most memorable moment in your baseball career to this point?

Martinez: I guess I would have to say, hitting my first homerun of my freshman year against Rocky Helm and the Maize Eagles was very memorable.  It was a great feeling going up to my first at bat and targeting in on the perfect pitch to launch out of the park.  Good times…

PBR: What do you like most about Wichita State and what were the key factors in making your decision?

Martinez: The WSU facility is by far the finest in the Midwest.  I have traveled to a lot of the Div 1 Midwest schools and WSU stood out.  I grew up with WSU being a power house in college baseball and I want to contribute to bringing that glory back to WSU and the Wichita community.  I believe with the recruits that WSU is attracting we will once again be a force to be reckoned with. 

PBR: What other schools were on your short list before you made your final decision?

Martinez: LSU, TCU, Vanderbilt and Virginia

PBR: When did the recruiting process really start to heat up for you? Was there a particular game or event that you feel turned the corner for you? 

Martinez: Well, I started going to a lot of different showcases my freshman summer.  The good thing for me was I was no stranger to showcases as I have been competing in Perfect Game showcases as well as the USSSA All American games and the USA Baseball NITS for a couple of years now.  So I am very comfortable in those kinds of environments.  But again I caught WSU attention at the PBR showcase so that really was the turning point.

PBR: Preview your high school season for us. How do you feel your team will be? What are your expectations and goals?

Martinez: I feel like we're going to struggle at first but then we will come together.  We are a very young team and I expect us to be one of the best in state my senior year.  This year we will compete but not sure how far we will go.  One of my goals this season is to bat over 500 this year and just like every teams goal I'd love to go to state.  

PBR: Where do you play in the summer? And what has been your most memorable experience with them?

Martinez: I play for the Kansas City Royals Amateur Scout Team.  It is a new program that the MLB has put in place to recruit and identify players with the potential to someday play at the MLB level.  This is the first year for the program and I look forward to traveling and working with the organization to make me the best baseball player possible.  I am very excited about the opportunities that are ahead of me.  My most memorable experience with the team is getting to practice at Kauffman Stadium on “The Kansas City Royals” field.  What an incredible rush it is to be given the opportunity to play on such an incredible platform.

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