Four-sport star signs with Lions
Austin Martinez chooses baseball, football
Centerfielder is fourth Grandview HS recruit
WAXAHACHIE, Texas -- Southwestern Assemblies of God University added a new recruit to the baseball team when Austin Martinez penned a binding national letter of intent.
Martinez is a 5-foot-11, 170-pound outfielder who played at Class 2A Grandview High School, just 30 miles west of Waxahachie. Along with his brother Landry, he will also play football at SAGU this fall.
They will unite with a pair of current Grandview graduates; QB Reid Golson and WR Nic Morphew.
The dual sport athlete produced accolades on the gridiron as well as the diamond. In fact, he won honors in basketball and track while suiting up for the Zebras.
He netted the Defensive Most Valuable Player award and was chosen on the All-Johnson County Team – both in hoops. Manifesting winged heels, the speed burner qualified for State in the Mile Relay as a sophomore and junior years, and his 800 Relay team similarly advanced to State in the tenth grade.
His deeds in football will be detailed in a separate press release. Suffice it to say, Martinez was voted All-State multiple times.
He earned his stripes in the classroom also, meriting National Honor Society membership in his junior
and senior years.
Martinez is one of numerous players who will contend for one of the three outfielder positions relinquished by seniors Mario Mendoza (Ft. Worth, Tx), Dustin Jett (Patterson, La) and Ben Chavez (Roswell, NM).
During his junior and senior campaigns, he garnered First Team All-District as an outfielder. He made the Central Texas All-Star team as a senior and was voted to the All-Johnson County team in his junior year.
Martinez hails from Childress, Texas, a town that borders the Red River, 110 miles northwest of Wichita Falls. It was named after George Childress, the principal author of the Texas Declaration of Independence.
A centerfielder for head coach Ryan Ebner at Grandview, who went 22-6 this year, Martinez hopes to help SAGU ‘write’ the book on their first winning record.
Batting leadoff, he toted a .290 batting average and a .460 on-base percentage.
"Austin is a great leader on and off the field,” Coach Ebner said. “He has great range in the outfield. Rarely did a ball find the grass.”
“His example included a tremendous work ethic," he added.
One of his career highlights was a grand slam that captured the district championship.
“I am looking forward to helping Coach Shockley create a program that everyone associated with SAGU can be proud of,” vowed Martinez. He also plans to study business.
“We’re building something good here,” Shockley said. “Good ballplayers who are character guys with a heart for God will be a great fit here at SAGU.”
Additional recruits will be officially announced in the coming weeks.
Austin will play defensive back for the Lions this fall. His parents are Roy and Pam. Along with Landry, they have a sister, Caitlin.
The family previously resided in Godley (northwest of Cleburne), on the southwest side of Ft. Worth, before moving to Grandview a year ago.
About SAGU baseball
Southwestern will begin playing their home games in January on their new, on-campus ballpark. The program’s initial ten seasons were performed across town at the Waxahachie Sports Complex.
The move will allow students to connect with the team much like the women’s softball team enjoyed this spring during their inaugural campaign.
Following the Lions' tracks
This fall, SAGU will officially introduce two new ways for fans to follow their favorite teams.
While a few sports have many home games (football, volleyball, basketball, soccer) broadcast in HD over the internet (on SAGUtv), the only NAIA school to do so, the Athletic Department will provide LiveStats at all home athletic events starting this year.
Plus, communications via Twitter, the social media app, will deliver scores, game updates, schedule and news stories.
LiveStats is a digital play-by-play account for fans unable to attend the game. The service will simultaneously list up-to-the-minute statistics.
Details on accessing these resources will be detailed on-line August.
SAGU is a Division I member in both the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA).
The Lions compete in the 15-team Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC).
Contact: Mark “Link” Warde, SAGU Sports Information Director, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or at 469-658-2847.
Current 2012 Lions Baseball Recruiting Class
| Name | Ht | Pos | Birthplace (Previous School) | HS School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler English | 6'0 | OF-RHP | Abilene, TX (Gatesville HS) | Graig Keeton |
| Hayden Killebrew | 6'0 | RHP | Red Oak, TX (Red Oak HS) | Jay Johnson |
| Austin Martinez | 5'11 | OF | Childress, TX (Grandview HS) | Ryan Ebner |
| Sal Rico, Jr. | 5'9 | RHP-2B | Houston, TX (Mt. Carmel Academy) | Salvador Rico, Sr. |
| Micah Thompson | 5'6 | 2B-RHP | Waco, TX (Gatesville HS) | Graig Keeton |
Players listed alphabetically
