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With the 2020 baseball season just around the corner, HawgBeat is previewing Arkansas' projected starting lineup with in-depth player breakdowns.
For a FREE overview of who the Razorbacks will likely start in their Feb. 14 opener against Eastern Illinois, as well as a their batting order and other key bench players, click here.
The PREMIUM series of player breakdowns continues with a look at Arkansas' potential cleanup hitter...
#15 - Casey Martin - SS
Jr. | R/R | 5-11 | 175
Lonoke, Ark. / Lonoke HS
2019: 66 games/66 starts, .286/.364/.548, 21 2B, 4 3B, 15 HR, 57 RBI, 30 BB/79 K, 10-12 SB
As high as he set the bar his freshman season, it would have been difficult for anyone to live up to the expectations for Casey Martin last season.
After hitting a team-high .345 on Arkansas’ national runner-up team, though, the Lonoke native experienced a sophomore slump that saw his batting average drop 59 points to .286.
While many focused on that and his school-record 79 strikeouts, Martin still produced at the plate in the form of 15 home runs and 57 RBIs, both of which ranked second on the team. He also hit .295 in SEC play, ended the regular season hitting .311 and almost exactly half of his hits in the season - 40 of 81 - went for extra bases, leading to his slugging percentage dropping only eight points (.556 to .548).
Martin’s struggles were particularly evident in the postseason. He went just 7 for 45 (.156) with 16 strikeouts in the SEC and NCAA Tournaments as opponents figured out he couldn’t hit offspeed pitches.
That was atop Martin’s offseason areas of focus and something he made progress with over the fall, as he “was seeing more pitches, wasn’t striking out as much (and) was battling more,” he said. For someone who had never struggled like that before, it was an encouraging sign.
“I had the most confidence I’ve had since my freshman year, honestly,” Martin said. “It was good to see I still had that in me and knowing that it didn’t really go anywhere.”
