By STEVE KRAH
Cole Martz has a way of dodging bats as a right-handed pitcher.
Only three Kankakee (Ill.) Community College baseball hurlers — Ryan Eirmann (113 in 2022), Rick Kemp (107 in 1970) and Bill Allen (101 in 1973) — have racked up more strikeouts in a single season than Martz.
In his first collegiate season in 2024, Martz recorded a team-high 93 K’s and helped the KCC staff set a single-season program strikeout record with 559.
“I’m a strikeout pitcher as of now,” says Martz. “I try to get a little bit of weak contact, but doing that I got myself in a little bit of trouble, so I just stayed with going at people.”
The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder from Huntington, Ind., uses a high arm slot to deliver a four-seam fastball, sinker, slider, cutter, curveball and, occasionally, a change-up.
Martz, who turned 20 on June 3, has gotten up to 92 mph with his four-seamer and sits at 89 to 90 mph.
His sinker drops and fades to the arm side, which means it goes into right-handed batters.
The “gyro” slider does straight down.
“There’s not much right-to-left on it,” says Martz.
Thrown like the slider, the cutter is more of a horizontal pitch.
“I keep it flat as possible and left it run sideways away from righties,” says Martz. “I throw my curveball in 0-0 counts to get ahead of hitters. I just float it in there and they take it.
“With my sinker and cutter I try to get weak contact and save on the pitch count a little bit.”
In 13 mound appearances (all starts) with Kankakee, Martz went 4-5 with 5.73 earned run average. Besides the whiffs, he had 35 walks in 59 2/3 innings.
Bryce Shafer, a graduate of Northfield High School in Wabash, Ind., who pitched at Valparaiso (Ind.) University and in the Chicago Cubs system and independent pro ball, is KCC’s head coach and pitching coach.
“I’ve learned a lot from Shafe,” says Martz. “He’s big on the philosophy of pitching and knowing your style.
“It’s being a smart pitcher and knowing how to get guys out. It’s about executing the best way possible to your abilities. You try to be yourself and do whatever you can do.”
Martz credits Shafer with assisting him in the areas that need the most improvement.
“He’s had a lot of experience,” says Martz. “He’s former pro baller so what he says is very valuable.”
Helping Martz establish the strikeout record and the Cavaliers post a 38-23-1 record were a number of others who played high school ball in Indiana, including Peyton Niksch (Andrean Class of 2022), Jackson Peeler (Hebron Class of 2023), J.J. Calmes (Warren Central Class of 2023), Kolton Floor (North Miami Class of 2023), Hunter Niksch (Andrean Class of 2021), Brett Cook (Andrean Class of 2023) and Leroy Lepper (Heritage Class of 2022).
Martz says he is planning on returning for his sophomore season at KCC in 2024-25. He is concentrating academically on General Studies and will choose a focused path when he transfers to a four-year school.
This summer, Martz is on the college wood-bat Prospect League’s Normal (Ill.) CornBelters. He works out at K’s Training Academy in Bloomington, Ill., and follows programming set by instructor Josh Kauten.
Born and raised in Huntington, Martz played travel ball from 8 to 18. He was with the Chris Storie-coached Indiana Elite through 13. Then came the Indiana Prospects with Jarod Green as head coach his 14U season and Storie guiding the team his 15U summer. He finished up with the Kevin Marrow-guided Midwest Astros.
While his freshman season at Huntington North High School was lost to the COVID-19 pandemic, Martz played three varsity campaigns — the first with Adam Roser as head coach and the last two with Jarod Hammel leading the program.
“Coach Hammel was big on being a competitor,” says Martz. “Step up, knowing you’re just as good as anybody else. The Viking Way was error on the side of aggressive and just go at everybody.”
Martz was chosen to participate in the 2023 Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North/South All-Star Series in Lafayette.
Cole is the son of Craig and Courtney Martz. Little sister Corinne Martz (Huntington North Class of 2024) is to play softball at NCAA Division I Indiana University Indianapolis (formerly IUPUI).
Since he was very young and visiting grandparents in Detroit, Cole has rooted for the Tigers.
“Growing up, Miguel Cabrera was my favorite player of all-time,” says Martz. “Justin Verlander was my favorite pitcher ever.
“(Cabrera) was always smiling and laughing (when opponents got to first base). Growing up, that’s what I did (at shortstop). I’d be chatting it up.
“When I saw (Verlander) pitch in Detroit against the Yankees. His last pitch was his hardest pitch of the day. I try to replicate that. When it’s my last hitter, I try to give it all I’ve got.”
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