Success doesn’t surprise Martini

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When the Big 12 Conference and Collegiate Baseball magazine took notice of outfielder Nick Martini’s impressive freshman season at Kansas State, the Prairie Ridge graduate was not too surprised.

After all, he had done plenty of work to get there.

“Those are the kinds of honors that I’ve worked hard for,” said Martini, who was named to Collegiate Baseball’s 2009 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America Team. “I pushed myself pretty hard. People don’t see the behind-the-scenes stuff, the work that goes into it.”

Martini, who earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors and was one of only three freshmen who the league recognized, is back at work on his game this summer.

Only weeks after his college season ended, the 189-pound Martini said he has added
10 pounds through a weightlifting regimen as he plays for the Topeka (Kan.) Golden Giants of the M.I.N.K. League, which includes teams in Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas.

After ranking third for KSU as a freshman with a .336 average, Martini is off to a hot start
with a .375 mark for Topeka (9-5) and a .545 on-base percentage.

“I want to work on my all-
around game and get stronger,” said Martini, who had 17 doubles, 50 RBIs and 19 stolen bases for Kansas State. “I want to keep working on hitting, and work on making solid contact every time.”

Martini is batting in a familiar spot in Topeka’s lineup – third. That’s where Kansas State
coach Brad Hill moved Martini from the No. 7 spot during the season.

“I felt like after a couple of weeks, I was comfortable there,” Martini said. “I had a couple
of really good hitters behind me.”

Martini shined in conference play, batting .324 against a league that produced eight NCAA tournament entrants in the 64-team field.

This summer, he is seeing plenty of familiar faces. The M.I.N.K. League is a haven for Big 12 athletes, including five on Topeka’s roster, four of whom are from Kansas State.

“The Big 12 is the best competition in the country,” said Martini, who helped the Wildcats (43-18-1) earn their first NCAA tournament berth in school history. “I proved that I could play at the highest level.”

Augie athletes shine: Woodstock grad Kelsey Duhai and Cary-Grove’s Allison Schaley were among the top honorees at D-III Augustana College’s track and field awards banquet last month.

Duhai, a senior, shared the team’s Most Valuable Performer award after she posted the best long jump of the outdoor track and field season in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin this spring.

Duhai’s effort of 18 feet, 1 3⁄4 inches came May 9 at a meet in DeKalb. Her best triple jump was 36-43⁄4.

Schaley, a sophomore, and three others shared the Most Improved Performer award. Schaley won the CCIW outdoor title in the 400-meter hurdles in a time of 1:04.95 seconds.

Relay standout: Wisconsin-Whitewater freshman Tim Prelletz helped the Warhawks’ 4x400-meter relay team run one of its top times of the season last month with a 3:16.11 effort at the Dr. Keeler Invitational in Naperville.

Prelletz, a Prairie Ridge grad, and his teammates earned provisional NCAA qualifying status by finishing fifth in the event.

• Barry Bottino writes a weekly column and a blog about local college athletes for the Northwest Herald. Write to him at BarryOnCampus@hotmail.com and check out his On Campus blog at www.McHenryCountySports.com/blogs/oncampus.