SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State baseball program will enter a new chapter in its long and distinguished history after head coach Mark Martinez announced his retirement on Thursday.
A veteran of 1,144 victories since the launch of his coaching career nearly 40 years ago, Martinez compiled a 257-217 record (.542) in nine seasons as the Aztecs' skipper, winning three Mountain West tournament championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018 to go with one regular-season title in 2023.
With his totals, Martinez ranks seventh in MW history with 257 overall victories and 134 wins in conference play. In addition, his .551 winning percentage in MW regular-season games (134-109) is good for eighth on the league's all-time charts.
Prior to his elevation to head coach, Martinez spent nine years (2006-14) as an assistant at SDSU under the late Tony Gwynn, serving as the program's associate head coach before succeeding the Baseball Hall-of-Famer on Aug. 20, 2014.
"Thank you to my family," Martinez said. "My wife, Jada, has believed in me from our beginning and has been the backbone of our family. She is my "why" and I look forward to more time exploring the world together. Without her, I would not have had the chance to chase my passion and live it every day. I'm blessed with two great kids. I thank them for their undying support and matched passion for our program and my experiences. Marissa and Cade are my light and I look forward to watching their journey and celebrating their life's accomplishments."
"Mark has had a tremendous run over the last 18 seasons at San Diego State, including the last nine as the head coach," said SDSU Director of Athletics John David Wicker. "Mark's teams have been competitive on and off the field, and he has left a lasting mark on Aztec Baseball. He has left the program in a good place and I'm appreciative of his efforts."
Under Martinez's tutelage, the Aztecs garnered 46 all-Mountain West accolades since 2015, including four conference Pitcher of the Year honorees, one MW Player of the Year recipient and one league Freshman of the Year winner.
In addition, Martinez mentored six student-athletes who captured 11 All-America honors, including two Freshman All-Americans, while nine of his pupils received all-region acclaim.
Since Martinez's arrival on The Mesa, the Aztecs have also had 53 student-athletes chosen in the MLB First-Year Player Draft, with 13 of those selections making the big leagues.
Along with on-field success, the Aztecs excelled academically during Martinez's tenure, posting the highest APR and the best team GPA in the history of the program. Over the past nine years, SDSU has had 75 players earn Mountain West all-academic honors while setting team records for the number of scholar-athletes.
In 2023, the Aztecs overcame an 0-5 start, rebounding to claim a share of the Mountain West regular-season title with an 18-11 mark in conference play. SDSU's MW regular-season championship was the program's third overall and first since 2004, as Martinez garnered conference Co-Coach of the Year accolades.
This past spring, Martinez oversaw an Aztec squad that led the Mountain West for all games in ERA (4.87), opponent batting average (.250), strikeouts (492), fewest hits allowed (430) and stolen bases (72).
Cast with a veteran-laden squad in 2021, Martinez presided over a prolific SDSU offense that finished second in the nation with a .335 team batting average during the regular season and was slotted third with 9.1 runs per game. In addition, the Aztecs ranked eighth in the country with a collective .413 on-base percentage and 13th with 420 runs scored overall.
Tasked with unique schedule challenges due to lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Martinez directed SDSU to a solid 30-16 overall record that season and second-place ledger of 22-14 in conference play. The Aztecs claimed series victories in 12 of 15 weeks and were the only MW team to play all 36 games on its original league schedule.
San Diego State entered the 2019 campaign as the only program in Division I baseball to win five conference tournament championships in a six-year span (2013-18). The Aztecs were also one of 18 teams nationally to have played in five NCAA regionals during that stretch and one of just two schools in California, joined by Cal State Fullerton.
In 2017, Martinez logged his 100th victory as head coach and became the fastest head coach in program history to reach the century mark in wins. That season, he directed the Scarlet and Black to a 42-21 record and a fourth conference tournament title in five years.
In his inaugural campaign as head coach in 2015, Martinez saw his team capture its third consecutive Mountain West tournament championship and earn a third straight berth in the NCAA Regionals. The team's final 41-23 record marked the first time San Diego State finished with back-to-back 40-win campaigns since the 1990 and 1991 seasons.
After spending the previous 17 years as an assistant coach at New Mexico, Martinez was hired in a similar capacity at SDSU in July 2005, initially overseeing Aztec infielders and coaching at third base. Along with Gwynn, Martinez helped the Aztecs end an 18-year drought from the NCAA postseason play with a regional appearance in 2009.
"I want to thank Tony Gwynn and the Gwynn family for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to coach at SDSU," Martinez added. "Coach Gwynn changed our life's trajectory and I'm forever grateful. Finally, I want to thank all the players that touched my life and made me better each day I got to mentor them. In addition, thank you to all the coaches I've worked with and competed against. You helped me learn and grow from the information we shared. I look forward to the next chapter and know that our program is in good hands moving forward."
During his tenure at UNM from 1989 to 2005, Martinez coached 47 all-conference honorees and four league players of the year. In addition, the Lobos produced 31 MLB Draft picks, eight All-Americans, four freshman All-Americans and four academic All-Americans in that span.
Martinez relocated to New Mexico after a five-year stint from 1984-88 as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Mesa State College (now Colorado Mesa University) in Grand Junction, Colorado. Martinez played shortstop at Mesa State from 1982-84, earning all-conference and all-district honors as a senior. He received his bachelor's degree in physical education in 1984 before completing his master's in sports administration from New Mexico in January 1990.
In addition to his work with the Lobos, Martinez gained valuable experience over two summers in 1993 and 1994 as head coach of the Mat-su Miners in the Alaska Summer League.
During this transition, pitching coach Shaun Cole will serve as San Diego State's acting head coach.