HOUSTON — Arkansas junior shortstop Casey Martin was a consensus preseason All-American and is expected to be a high draft choice in the upcoming MLB Draft, but he’ll likely be taking a seat on the bench Sunday.
Dave Van Horn, the Razorbacks' coach, said he will likely sit Martin for the game against Baylor at the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
Martin was moved from the No. 4 position to the No. 6 position in the batting order, but went 0-of-5 with four strikeouts in Arkansas' 8-7 loss to Texas on Saturday. He struck out three times with runners in scoring position.
He is 3-of-23 with 12 strikeouts in the last six games, and also has committed three errors during that stretch. He is 1-for-9 with six strikeouts during games against Oklahoma and Texas at the College Classic.
Through nine games this season, Martin leads the Razorbacks with 14 strikeouts and four errors committed, a continuance of his struggles a season ago when he struck out 79 times and committed an SEC-high 23 errors.
“He has had a few of those (games),” Van Horn said. “There is not much you can say anymore. It is his battle. He has got to get through it.
“I probably won’t play him tomorrow. I think he might need to sit over here and watch. I want to win every game, but sometimes you have just got to do what you have got to do.”
Martin is batting .182 with just six hits this season. A home run last Sunday accounted for his only RBI of the year and he has walked six times, including three times intentionally.
Arkansas hitting coach Nate Thompson said following last weekend's series against Gonzaga that coaches are working with Martin to cut down on strikeouts.
"We're trying to help him relax, just know that he's good enough," Thompson said when asked about Martin's high strikeout totals. "You don't have to force the issue here. Sometimes the best swing is no swing and all you've got to do is you've got to make them come to you. If he gets a ball in play, especially along the ground, it brings out a chance for him to show his elite speed.
"We've watched video. He knows situations and how pitchers are trying to pitch him, particularly with two strikes. You just try to arm the guy with as much as you can, but also keep it simple."
Thompson said he felt Martin was getting back on track following the finale of the Gonzaga series when he hit his home run.
"He wants to make things happen," Thompson said. "He's got to be OK letting the game come to him more.
"I just want to see him slow down and get his best swing off a little more."
Matt Jones contributed