By Craig Morgan,
thesundevils.com writer
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Ask coach Tracy Smith and pitcher Seth Martinez to describe the Arizona State’s ace's stuff and you get identical answers.
"I wouldn't say that it's electric."
Martinez's toolbox of pitches may be more of the garage variety than the speedway variety, but he has learned to master the tools at his disposal in ascending to the top of the Sun Devils' staff, and the top of the Pac-12's pitching statistics.
His 2.04 ERA is tops among conference starters after he went eight innings and allowed three runs in a 12-4 win at UCLA on Friday. In 14 starts this season, he has allowed more than three runs just twice, allowing four runs (two unearned) against Washington on April 8 and four against Oregon on May 6.
"I guess the way I’d describe it is 'consistent,'" he said. "I really have a good feel for each of my pitches and I know what I'm trying to do with each of my pitches."
Martinez is tied for first in the Pac-12 with nine wins, tied for second with 101.1 innings, he is fourth in strikeouts (86) and he is second in strikeouts looking (26); a nod to two of his greatest abilities.
"He's not going to throw a 97 mile-per-hour fastball or the wipe-out slider, but what he does so well is throw every pitch with the same arm action to fool batters -- and he locates all his pitches very well," Smith said. "He was that guy even last year. His control was good and his mechanics were solid but he's taken a huge step up for us this season."
The Devils needed that quantum leap. ASU lost three pitchers off last year's roster to the Major League Baseball Draft. Brett Lilek went in the second round; Ryan Burr and Ryan Kellogg went in the fifth. Making matters worse was the loss of starter Hever Bueno to an injury early in the season and a rash of other ailments to numerous members of the staff.
Martinez was 5-0 last season but had a 4.32 ERA. This year, he's been a workhorse for a staff that desperately needed him to be.
"We knew in the offseason he would have to give us big-time innings this year because our pitching staff is not very deep," Smith said.
"His ability to go out on Friday and go deep pretty much every time he starts is one of main reasons we are where we are right now."
Pitching coach Brandon Higelin still finds occasional tweaks in Martinez's mechanics, and Higelin stresses staying in a routine, whether its pregame or postgame, but the pair are happy with what may be Martinez's greatest asset of all.
"I’d say one of my biggest strengths is my mental toughness," Martinez said. "When I'm on the mound I take one pitch at a time and I'm trying not to dwell on a bad pitch or what just happened. I keep moving forward with the idea that the next pitch can get an out.
"Seventy to 80 percent of this game is mental so if you don't think you're going to get the job done, you're not."
Martinez's performance is one of several reason the Sun Devils have rallied from the bottom quarter of the conference standings to their current third-place standing, two games behind conference leader Utah as the Devils (33-19, 15-12 Pac-12) head into their final series of the regular season this weekend against USC.
"It's incredible with what we lost off last year's team and where we were earlier in the season that we're coming down to the last weekend with a chance to win the conference," Smith said. "It's a testament to these guys and the leadership we have -- and Seth is one of those guys in that group that said 'Ok, it’s time to get this thing going."