Infielder works hard on, off the baseball field

Finding balance between competitiveness and self-control is something an athlete has to master in order to achieve a good performance on the field.

Second basemen Angel Marti has been striving to find this equilibrium ever since he was 3 years old and first touched a baseball.

As a 20-year-old sophomore majoring in sociology, Marti has been described by his teammates as one of the most reliable and level-headed Citrus College baseball players both on and off the field. 

"I always try to keep cool," Marti said.  "Getting hyped doesn't really work for me. I just play like if its any other game."

Marti's "just another day at the office" mentality has transformed him into a leader among his peers.

They recognize him as someone who knows when to joke around and when to put his foot down.

When he was a junior at South Hills high school High School, Marti received second team All-San Antonio League honors.

As a senior he received first team All-San Antonio League honors.

Marti's 3.8 GPA reflects the hard work he has been doing off the field. Currently, Marti has no specific school in mind; he is simply hoping to transfer wherever someone will offer him a chance to play baseball, but would prefer to stay in California.

In the meantime, all of his focus is on finishing this season the best way possible, not only performing to the best of his abilities but also creating a comfortable environment for his teammates.

Marti is currently batting an average of .496, has scored 32 runs and has a .957 fielding percentage.

"Angel is a good guy on and off the field and definitely someone you can count on," said Jake Ludvick, a 20-year-old sophomore outfielder for the Citrus baseball team.

"He always eats potato balls every game in the dugout—no one knows what it is—some kind of Cuban food. It's pretty funny," he said.

Head coach Steve Gomez also recognizes Marti's hard work during the two years he has been playing baseball at Citrus.

"He has been our consistent lead off hitter for the past two years," Gomez said. "Angel has done everything he needs to do academically to transfer and right now a couple of schools are looking at him."

Marti is the type of player who will, after practice, stay and work some more in order to become a better player, Gomez said.