In Rare Air
Mar 11, 2025 | Baseball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
"I think I hit one in Little League. Maybe. Nothing sticks out," Maximus Martin says, lounging in a black leather swivel chair in the coaches meeting room in the Kansas State baseball office at Tointon Family Stadium on Saturday evening.
The game has been over for about 30 minutes — K-State beat William & Mary 17-5 in seven innings — and the 21-year-old native of Edgewater Park, New Jersey, remains in his white uniform while a KS ballcap stands atop a white Powercat bandana.
Martin is straining his brain to remember if he had ever hit a grand slam in an official game prior to Saturday's first-inning blast against William & Mary that sailed over the leftfield fence.
The verdict? No. Nope. Nada.
"Honestly, I didn't even know if it was going to go out," Martin says. "I just saw the outfielder running all the way to the wall, and once he put his hand on the wall, I thought, 'There's a chance it'll go out.'
"I'm still getting used to the wind here, so I was just seeing how hard you have to hit the ball for it to go out. It was a pretty good day, I guess."
It was a pretty good day, indeed.
Martin went on to also hit a solo shot in the second inning.
"In high school, I hit two home runs in a game," he says. "Freshman year, probably."
These days, Martin is leaving his mark in every game. The 6-foot, 190-pound shortstop, a junior transfer from Georgia State, is doing things we haven't seen. He is doing things that he cannot remember ever doing before. And in a way, he is just getting started as K-State, 9-5, continues to win with the start of the Big 12 Conference season later this week.
Call him Maximus, not "Max," and Maximus Martin is quickly becoming a star.
On Monday, Martin became the first player in K-State history to be selected as the Golden Spikes Award Player of the Week by USA Baseball. He was also voted Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Week — one week after he earned Big 12 Player the Week, becoming just the third K-State player and the first since 2018 to earn Big 12 weekly honors in consecutive weeks.
He hit two home runs on Saturday and hit two homers on Sunday. In a span of 11 innings, he hit a grand slam, a three-run blast, a solo home run, and another solo home run.
His eight RBI on Saturday were the most by a K-State player since 2018.
He has homered in four consecutive games, and a third straight game with a homer in the first inning.
"He's on a stretch that I have very rarely seen in my career," said K-State head coach Pete Hughes, who has served as a head coach for 28 years.
In the realm of Division I baseball, Martin ranks second in the country in slugging percentage (1.143), third in batting average (.524), seventh in home runs per game (0.58), ninth in RBI per game (1.92), and 14th in hits per game (1.83).
In the realm of the Big 12, he ranks second in batting average, first in OPS (1.735), first in home runs (seven) and third in on-base percentage (.592).
This past week, he was rated the No. 1 hitter in Division I by D1Baseball after going 8-for-12 with one double, five home runs, 12 RBI and a 2.714 OPS.
Against William & Mary on Sunday, he went 5-for-5 with insane exit velocities — 109 miles per hour, 97 mph, 106 mph, 109 mph and 111 mph.
How exciting is this?
"Well, it's definitely exciting because this is only my first series at home here," he says. "I'd never really gotten to play at home where there's a bunch of fans and a bunch of people supporting you. I take my at-bats knowing there's a whole lot of people there supporting you. That makes it a lot more special.
"I promise you, every time I hit a home run here, I'll throw up the Powercat sign to the fans. It's special."
As for his string of success?
"It's cool," he says. "I try my best every day and regardless of the outcome. I'm blessed to be alive and blessed to still be playing baseball. I try not to get too big of a head with everything and try to take it pitch by pitch and see what happens. I'm trying to just stay level-headed and appreciate playing."
There was a time when Martin wondered if he might ever emerge as a major contributor for a Division I team. A four-year varsity player at Moorestown High School, Martin played his freshman season at Rutgers, then he transferred to Georgia State. He was the leadoff hitter for the final 36 games and hit .297 with 12 doubles, two triples, three homers and 21 RBI. When it became apparent that many of his talented teammates were leaving, Martin put his name into the transfer portal.
His prayers were answered as Arkansas called. Then two weeks after moving to Fayetteville, he was notified that they had signed three more infielders, but he would have the opportunity to go elsewhere. So, Martin made himself available to Division I schools once more.
This time, K-State called.
"I got on the phone with Coach Hughes and Coach (Austin) Wates, and they laid it out and I took another gamble and packed all my stuff and moved to Manhattan," he says. "It was stressful for sure, but I ended up in the right spot.
"They were super straight forward. They gave me an offer and they told me what they needed in a player, and they said that they thought I could be a piece. They didn't guarantee me anything other than an opportunity to come here. I had a good feeling about it. It's working out so far."
Martin endured some growing pains along the way.
"He's made a heck of an adjustment, and that's what older players do," Hughes says. "He did not have a great preseason for us. In fact, he wasn't in my Opening Day lineup. He just got himself going. He's a super-talented kid. He's found that power stroke, which he hasn't had in his career, but we always knew was there. He's just a really good worker, and good kid, and a good teammate."
He bonded well with his teammates prior to the season as they shared in his delight as he experienced the best moment of his life.
"I got baptized in our training room this year," he says. "Personally, I can say that's probably the best moment of my life other than my brother being born and knowing I had a sibling. That's an important thing with my faith journey and to do it here at a brand-new school, with all my coaches, and the guys in there supporting me, that was the biggest positive moment I've had here so far.
"I can say no matter what happens at the end of this year, that's the thing I'll remember the most."
So far, Martin, K-State coaches and teammates, and fans have been treated to many memorable moments on the diamond.
As Hughes puts it, "There's more in there."
"He's super-talented," Hughes says. "There's more in there. There's more to his game that can get to the level we're wanting right now, which could be a five-tool guy. We're all learning and all growing, and he's doing that at an accelerated rate just getting big hits. He could also be a dynamic base runner. We haven't seen that yet. He's super-talented defensively. He needs to clean up some things and play at a standard I think he can play at. It's definitely there.
"Offensively, man, he's our foundation."
And he's grateful.
"Small steps at a time," Martin says. "Just be as positive as I can be regardless of the outcome. If I go 4-for-4 with four homers, that's a great day, and I'm blessed with that day. If I go 0-for-4 with four strikeouts, I was still blessed to be playing. I'm just trying to appreciate every chance I get to be on the field. I have a lot of buddies back home who aren't playing, and I give my best effort for all the work and sacrifices my parents made for myself."
Martin pauses while sitting in the black leather swivel chair in the K-State baseball office. He leans forward.
"Whatever happens, I'll know that I gave my best effort, and that I was positive about it," he says. "Whatever way it goes, I can say I gave it my best."
This week, in the realm of Division I college baseball, Martin is simply the best.
"I think I hit one in Little League. Maybe. Nothing sticks out," Maximus Martin says, lounging in a black leather swivel chair in the coaches meeting room in the Kansas State baseball office at Tointon Family Stadium on Saturday evening.
The game has been over for about 30 minutes — K-State beat William & Mary 17-5 in seven innings — and the 21-year-old native of Edgewater Park, New Jersey, remains in his white uniform while a KS ballcap stands atop a white Powercat bandana.
Martin is straining his brain to remember if he had ever hit a grand slam in an official game prior to Saturday's first-inning blast against William & Mary that sailed over the leftfield fence.
The verdict? No. Nope. Nada.
"Honestly, I didn't even know if it was going to go out," Martin says. "I just saw the outfielder running all the way to the wall, and once he put his hand on the wall, I thought, 'There's a chance it'll go out.'
"I'm still getting used to the wind here, so I was just seeing how hard you have to hit the ball for it to go out. It was a pretty good day, I guess."
It was a pretty good day, indeed.
Martin went on to also hit a solo shot in the second inning.
"In high school, I hit two home runs in a game," he says. "Freshman year, probably."
These days, Martin is leaving his mark in every game. The 6-foot, 190-pound shortstop, a junior transfer from Georgia State, is doing things we haven't seen. He is doing things that he cannot remember ever doing before. And in a way, he is just getting started as K-State, 9-5, continues to win with the start of the Big 12 Conference season later this week.
Call him Maximus, not "Max," and Maximus Martin is quickly becoming a star.
On Monday, Martin became the first player in K-State history to be selected as the Golden Spikes Award Player of the Week by USA Baseball. He was also voted Big 12 Co-Newcomer of the Week — one week after he earned Big 12 Player the Week, becoming just the third K-State player and the first since 2018 to earn Big 12 weekly honors in consecutive weeks.
He hit two home runs on Saturday and hit two homers on Sunday. In a span of 11 innings, he hit a grand slam, a three-run blast, a solo home run, and another solo home run.
His eight RBI on Saturday were the most by a K-State player since 2018.
He has homered in four consecutive games, and a third straight game with a homer in the first inning.
"He's on a stretch that I have very rarely seen in my career," said K-State head coach Pete Hughes, who has served as a head coach for 28 years.
In the realm of Division I baseball, Martin ranks second in the country in slugging percentage (1.143), third in batting average (.524), seventh in home runs per game (0.58), ninth in RBI per game (1.92), and 14th in hits per game (1.83).
In the realm of the Big 12, he ranks second in batting average, first in OPS (1.735), first in home runs (seven) and third in on-base percentage (.592).
This past week, he was rated the No. 1 hitter in Division I by D1Baseball after going 8-for-12 with one double, five home runs, 12 RBI and a 2.714 OPS.
Against William & Mary on Sunday, he went 5-for-5 with insane exit velocities — 109 miles per hour, 97 mph, 106 mph, 109 mph and 111 mph.
How exciting is this?
"Well, it's definitely exciting because this is only my first series at home here," he says. "I'd never really gotten to play at home where there's a bunch of fans and a bunch of people supporting you. I take my at-bats knowing there's a whole lot of people there supporting you. That makes it a lot more special.
"I promise you, every time I hit a home run here, I'll throw up the Powercat sign to the fans. It's special."
As for his string of success?
"It's cool," he says. "I try my best every day and regardless of the outcome. I'm blessed to be alive and blessed to still be playing baseball. I try not to get too big of a head with everything and try to take it pitch by pitch and see what happens. I'm trying to just stay level-headed and appreciate playing."
There was a time when Martin wondered if he might ever emerge as a major contributor for a Division I team. A four-year varsity player at Moorestown High School, Martin played his freshman season at Rutgers, then he transferred to Georgia State. He was the leadoff hitter for the final 36 games and hit .297 with 12 doubles, two triples, three homers and 21 RBI. When it became apparent that many of his talented teammates were leaving, Martin put his name into the transfer portal.
His prayers were answered as Arkansas called. Then two weeks after moving to Fayetteville, he was notified that they had signed three more infielders, but he would have the opportunity to go elsewhere. So, Martin made himself available to Division I schools once more.
This time, K-State called.
"I got on the phone with Coach Hughes and Coach (Austin) Wates, and they laid it out and I took another gamble and packed all my stuff and moved to Manhattan," he says. "It was stressful for sure, but I ended up in the right spot.
"They were super straight forward. They gave me an offer and they told me what they needed in a player, and they said that they thought I could be a piece. They didn't guarantee me anything other than an opportunity to come here. I had a good feeling about it. It's working out so far."
Martin endured some growing pains along the way.
"He's made a heck of an adjustment, and that's what older players do," Hughes says. "He did not have a great preseason for us. In fact, he wasn't in my Opening Day lineup. He just got himself going. He's a super-talented kid. He's found that power stroke, which he hasn't had in his career, but we always knew was there. He's just a really good worker, and good kid, and a good teammate."
He bonded well with his teammates prior to the season as they shared in his delight as he experienced the best moment of his life.
"I got baptized in our training room this year," he says. "Personally, I can say that's probably the best moment of my life other than my brother being born and knowing I had a sibling. That's an important thing with my faith journey and to do it here at a brand-new school, with all my coaches, and the guys in there supporting me, that was the biggest positive moment I've had here so far.
"I can say no matter what happens at the end of this year, that's the thing I'll remember the most."
So far, Martin, K-State coaches and teammates, and fans have been treated to many memorable moments on the diamond.
As Hughes puts it, "There's more in there."
"He's super-talented," Hughes says. "There's more in there. There's more to his game that can get to the level we're wanting right now, which could be a five-tool guy. We're all learning and all growing, and he's doing that at an accelerated rate just getting big hits. He could also be a dynamic base runner. We haven't seen that yet. He's super-talented defensively. He needs to clean up some things and play at a standard I think he can play at. It's definitely there.
"Offensively, man, he's our foundation."
And he's grateful.
"Small steps at a time," Martin says. "Just be as positive as I can be regardless of the outcome. If I go 4-for-4 with four homers, that's a great day, and I'm blessed with that day. If I go 0-for-4 with four strikeouts, I was still blessed to be playing. I'm just trying to appreciate every chance I get to be on the field. I have a lot of buddies back home who aren't playing, and I give my best effort for all the work and sacrifices my parents made for myself."
Martin pauses while sitting in the black leather swivel chair in the K-State baseball office. He leans forward.
"Whatever happens, I'll know that I gave my best effort, and that I was positive about it," he says. "Whatever way it goes, I can say I gave it my best."
This week, in the realm of Division I college baseball, Martin is simply the best.
Players Mentioned
INF
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