Mark Martinez enters his ninth season as head coach and 18th at San Diego State in 2023 after succeeding the late Tony Gwynn on August 20, 2014. He is just the fifth head coach in SDSU history since baseball achieved major sport status at the school in 1936.
A veteran of 1,120 victories since the launch of his coaching career 39 years ago in 1984, Martinez has compiled a 233-188 record (.553) as the Aztecs’ head coach, highlighted by three Mountain West tournament championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
Since 2015, SDSU has garnered 41 all-Mountain West accolades under Martinez’s tutelage, including MW Pitchers of the Year Brett Seeburger (2017), Garrett Hill (co-2018) and Troy Melton (co-2022), as well as 2017 MW Player of the Year Danny Sheehan and 2022 MW Freshman of the Year Irvin Weems.
Additionally, Martinez has mentored three freshman All-Americans in Chase Calabuig (2015), Casey Schmitt (2018) and Jaden Fein (2019), with the latter also receiving Mountain West Co-Freshman of the Year distinction that season.
Along with on-field success, the Aztecs have excelled academically during Martinez’s tenure, posting the highest APR and the best team GPA in the history of the program. Over the past eight years, SDSU has had 69 players earn Mountain West all-academic honors while setting team records for the number of scholar-athletes.
Prior to his elevation to head coach, Martinez spent nine years (2006-14) as an assistant under Tony Gwynn, building and transforming the program into what it is today. During that time, he was promoted to the position of associate head coach. Along with Gwynn, Martinez helped San Diego State end an 18-year drought from the NCAA postseason play with a regional appearance in 2009.
Since Martinez’s arrival on The Mesa, the Aztecs have had 50 student-athletes chosen in the MLB First-Year Player Draft, with 13 of those selections making the big leagues (Stephen Strasburg, Addison Reed, Justin Masterson, Bruce Billings, Quintin Berry, Lance Zawadzki, Greg Allen, Ty France, Seby Zavala, Alan Trejo, Garrett Hill, David Hensley and Casey Schmitt).
In 2022, Martinez guided a youthful Aztec squad through a challenging schedule, as 20 players on the 37-man roster made their initial appearances in a SDSU uniform, including 10 true freshmen.
Of the Aztecs’ 17 different opponents on their schedule last season, 12 teams posted a winning record during the 2021 campaign, including five that qualified for NCAA Regional competition, while 10 of those schools finished among the top 100 of the final 2021 NCAA RPI rankings.
Despite its modest 18-38 mark, SDSU still recorded several outstanding individual accomplishments in 2022, including Troy Melton, who garnered Mountain West Co-Pitcher of the Year accolades along with ABCA/Rawlings All-West Region honors.
In addition, Martinez oversaw the emergence of Cole Carrigg, who received first-team all-MW recognition along with Melton, while pitcher TJ Fondtain merited second-team plaudits in his first season as a starter. Not to be outdone, prized recruit Irvin Weems lived up to his potential by earning MW Freshman of the Year distinction.
SDSU continued its success in the classroom last year, with six players landing on the MW all-academic team, while four individuals earned conference scholar-athlete recognition.
Cast with a veteran-laden squad in 2021, Martinez presided over a prolific Aztec 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 Scarlet and Black ranked eighth in the country with a collective .413 on-base percentage and 13th with 420 runs scored overall.
Individually, Martinez coached five student-athletes who selected in the 2021 MLB First-Year Player Draft, including outfielders Matt Rudick and Jaden Fein, infielder Mike Jarvis, catcher Wyatt Hendrie and starting pitcher Michael Paredes.
Rudick concluded his stellar SDSU career by earning third-team NCBWA All-America honors after joining Hendrie on the ABCA All-West Region second team.
Along with Rudick and Hendrie, who collected first-team all-Mountain West plaudits, the Aztecs boasted four additional all-conference honorees under Martinez’s direction that season, including second-team selections Fein, Jarvis, Paredes and relief pitcher Tre Brown.
Tasked with unique schedule challenges due to lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Martinez directed SDSU to a solid 30-16 overall record in 2021 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.
On April 2, 2021, Martinez earned his 200th career victory as a head coach after SDSU defeated New Mexico, 5-4, in 10 innings in the second game of a home doubleheader.
In a 2020 campaign that was cut short due to the pandemic, Martinez guided a squad that was picked to finish first in the Mountain West to a 10-6 record against another demanding early-season schedule. The Aztecs defeated three nationally ranked teams in No. 24 Cal State Fullerton, No. 17/17 Long Beach State and No. 11/15 Oklahoma. The Scarlet and Black also knocked off two of the last four College World Series winners, beating 2016 champion Coastal Carolina on the road before splitting a four-game home series vs. 2018 victor Oregon State.
Individually, Martinez coached three all-Mountain West honorees in Melton, Rudick and third baseman/relief pitcher Casey Schmitt. Schmitt, who garnered numerous preseason accolades, received third-team All-America recognition after earning a spot on the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award watch list.
Later in the spring, Schmitt was chosen by the San Francisco Giants in the second round of the MLB Draft with the 49th pick overall, joining fellow infield teammate Anthony Walters, who taken in the third round by the New York Mets with the 91st pick. With the duo’s selections, San Diego State has had 23 players drafted during Martinez’s stint as head coach, including multiple picks in each of last four years.
Not to be outdone, Martinez’s charges also excelled in the classroom as eight players landed on the Mountain West all-academic team, including infielder Caden Miller, who received scholar-athlete distinction from the conference as well.
During his fifth season as head coach in 2019, Martinez piloted the Aztecs to a 32-25 record, with the Scarlet and Black becoming the only Mountain West program to win at least 30 games six times since the 2013 campaign.
In April 2019, Martinez received the Center for Community Solutions Champions Award, recognizing his efforts in starting healthy relationships and consent education training with SDSU baseball student-athletes and coaches.
San Diego State entered the 2019 season as the only team in Division I baseball with five conference tournament championships in a six-year span (2013-18). The Aztecs were also one of 18 programs nationally to have played in five NCAA regionals during that stretch and one of just two programs in California, joined by only Cal State Fullerton.
Individually, six players garnered all-Mountain West accolades in 2018, led by Rudick and relief pitcher Adrian Mardueno, who received first-team recognition, while Schmitt, shortstop Angelo Armenta, outfielder Mike Jarvis and pitcher Justin Goossen-Brown were second-team honorees. In addition, Fein was named the league’s co-Freshman of the Year and was tabbed a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball magazine.
Subsequently in the MLB First-Year Player Draft, the Aztecs had four players selected in Armenta, Mardueno, pitcher Logan Boyer and outfielder Julian Escobedo.
In just his fourth year at the helm in 2018, Martinez became the fastest head coach in Mountain West history to win three conference tournament championships, marking SDSU’s fifth title in a six-year stretch. The Aztecs compiled a 39-21 record that season, becoming one of 13 programs nationally to win 39 or more games four times in a five-year span from 2014-18.
Statistically, SDSU was one of just nine teams in the country to hit over .300 in consecutive seasons in 2017-18 and led the Mountain West in earned run average in both years.
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 title in five years.
Statistically, Martinez’s offense was among the national leaders in several categories, while the defense set a school record for fielding percentage. He also coached the Mountain West Player of the Year (Danny Sheehan) and the league's Pitcher of the Year (Brett Seeburger). In all, six Aztecs earned all-conference honors while two (Danny Sheehan, Tyler Adkison) were recognized as third-team All-Americans.
In his inaugural season as head coach in 2015, Martinez saw his team capture its third consecutive Mountain West 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.
Seven Aztecs merited all-Mountain West recognition, including first-team selections Danny Sheehan, Ty France, Bubba Derby and Mark Seyler, who joined second-team honorees Steven Pallares, Chase Calabuig and Seby Zavala. The team produced a freshman All-American (Calabuig), three All-West Region selections (Derby, Pallares, Zavala), three members of the NCAA Regional all-tournament team (Derby, Pallares, Alan Trejo) and five student-athletes on the conference championship all-tourney team including the MVP (Zavala). In addition, Derby, France, Pallares, Seyler were selected in the 2015 MLB First-Year Player Draft.
During his final season as assistant coach, Martinez helped lead San Diego State to its second consecutive Mountain West title. The overall 42-21 record (.667) marked the best winning percentage for the program in 30 years. The Aztecs also appeared in their second consecutive regional, playing in Lafayette, Louisiana, as the No. 3 seed.
Following the season, SDSU had six players drafted (Michael Cederoth, Greg Allen, Brad Haynal, Tim Zier, Brandon Thomas and Justin Hepner) and saw another sign as an undrafted free agent (Evan Potter). Of the six athletes that signed after the 2014 campaign, only one (Cederoth) had been drafted before their arrival on The Mesa. In addition, Cederoth collected first-team All-America honors from Baseball America, while Ty France received third-team distinction from the publication. Martinez also played an integral role in signing the 2014 recruiting class, which was ranked as the 19th-best freshman class in the nationally by Baseball America.
After spending the previous 17 years as an assistant coach at the University of New Mexico, Martinez was hired in a similar capacity at San Diego State in July 2005, initially overseeing Aztec infielders and coaching at third base during games.
During his tenure at UNM from 1988 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.
Serving as a hitting and infield coach at New Mexico, Martinez guided a Lobo offense that became one of the most prominent in the nation. Over his final four seasons in Albuquerque, UNM was ranked among the top 11 teams in the nation in hitting. Additionally, the Lobos were among the top 10 nationally in batting, slugging, doubles, triples and homers in 2005. He also helped lead the UNM to the 2000 Mountain West Conference regular-season title.
The 59-year-old 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.
Born Dec. 18, 1961, in Aurora, Colorado, Martinez graduated from Longmont (Colo.) High School in 1980. He and wife, Jada Lucey Martinez, formerly UNM's associate athletic director for development, have two children: a daughter, Marissa, and a son, Cade.
A veteran of 1,120 victories since the launch of his coaching career 39 years ago in 1984, Martinez has compiled a 233-188 record (.553) as the Aztecs’ head coach, highlighted by three Mountain West tournament championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018.
Since 2015, SDSU has garnered 41 all-Mountain West accolades under Martinez’s tutelage, including MW Pitchers of the Year Brett Seeburger (2017), Garrett Hill (co-2018) and Troy Melton (co-2022), as well as 2017 MW Player of the Year Danny Sheehan and 2022 MW Freshman of the Year Irvin Weems.
Additionally, Martinez has mentored three freshman All-Americans in Chase Calabuig (2015), Casey Schmitt (2018) and Jaden Fein (2019), with the latter also receiving Mountain West Co-Freshman of the Year distinction that season.
Along with on-field success, the Aztecs have excelled academically during Martinez’s tenure, posting the highest APR and the best team GPA in the history of the program. Over the past eight years, SDSU has had 69 players earn Mountain West all-academic honors while setting team records for the number of scholar-athletes.
Prior to his elevation to head coach, Martinez spent nine years (2006-14) as an assistant under Tony Gwynn, building and transforming the program into what it is today. During that time, he was promoted to the position of associate head coach. Along with Gwynn, Martinez helped San Diego State end an 18-year drought from the NCAA postseason play with a regional appearance in 2009.
Since Martinez’s arrival on The Mesa, the Aztecs have had 50 student-athletes chosen in the MLB First-Year Player Draft, with 13 of those selections making the big leagues (Stephen Strasburg, Addison Reed, Justin Masterson, Bruce Billings, Quintin Berry, Lance Zawadzki, Greg Allen, Ty France, Seby Zavala, Alan Trejo, Garrett Hill, David Hensley and Casey Schmitt).
In 2022, Martinez guided a youthful Aztec squad through a challenging schedule, as 20 players on the 37-man roster made their initial appearances in a SDSU uniform, including 10 true freshmen.
Of the Aztecs’ 17 different opponents on their schedule last season, 12 teams posted a winning record during the 2021 campaign, including five that qualified for NCAA Regional competition, while 10 of those schools finished among the top 100 of the final 2021 NCAA RPI rankings.
Despite its modest 18-38 mark, SDSU still recorded several outstanding individual accomplishments in 2022, including Troy Melton, who garnered Mountain West Co-Pitcher of the Year accolades along with ABCA/Rawlings All-West Region honors.
In addition, Martinez oversaw the emergence of Cole Carrigg, who received first-team all-MW recognition along with Melton, while pitcher TJ Fondtain merited second-team plaudits in his first season as a starter. Not to be outdone, prized recruit Irvin Weems lived up to his potential by earning MW Freshman of the Year distinction.
SDSU continued its success in the classroom last year, with six players landing on the MW all-academic team, while four individuals earned conference scholar-athlete recognition.
Cast with a veteran-laden squad in 2021, Martinez presided over a prolific Aztec 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 Scarlet and Black ranked eighth in the country with a collective .413 on-base percentage and 13th with 420 runs scored overall.
Individually, Martinez coached five student-athletes who selected in the 2021 MLB First-Year Player Draft, including outfielders Matt Rudick and Jaden Fein, infielder Mike Jarvis, catcher Wyatt Hendrie and starting pitcher Michael Paredes.
Rudick concluded his stellar SDSU career by earning third-team NCBWA All-America honors after joining Hendrie on the ABCA All-West Region second team.
Along with Rudick and Hendrie, who collected first-team all-Mountain West plaudits, the Aztecs boasted four additional all-conference honorees under Martinez’s direction that season, including second-team selections Fein, Jarvis, Paredes and relief pitcher Tre Brown.
Tasked with unique schedule challenges due to lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Martinez directed SDSU to a solid 30-16 overall record in 2021 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.
On April 2, 2021, Martinez earned his 200th career victory as a head coach after SDSU defeated New Mexico, 5-4, in 10 innings in the second game of a home doubleheader.
In a 2020 campaign that was cut short due to the pandemic, Martinez guided a squad that was picked to finish first in the Mountain West to a 10-6 record against another demanding early-season schedule. The Aztecs defeated three nationally ranked teams in No. 24 Cal State Fullerton, No. 17/17 Long Beach State and No. 11/15 Oklahoma. The Scarlet and Black also knocked off two of the last four College World Series winners, beating 2016 champion Coastal Carolina on the road before splitting a four-game home series vs. 2018 victor Oregon State.
Individually, Martinez coached three all-Mountain West honorees in Melton, Rudick and third baseman/relief pitcher Casey Schmitt. Schmitt, who garnered numerous preseason accolades, received third-team All-America recognition after earning a spot on the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award watch list.
Later in the spring, Schmitt was chosen by the San Francisco Giants in the second round of the MLB Draft with the 49th pick overall, joining fellow infield teammate Anthony Walters, who taken in the third round by the New York Mets with the 91st pick. With the duo’s selections, San Diego State has had 23 players drafted during Martinez’s stint as head coach, including multiple picks in each of last four years.
Not to be outdone, Martinez’s charges also excelled in the classroom as eight players landed on the Mountain West all-academic team, including infielder Caden Miller, who received scholar-athlete distinction from the conference as well.
During his fifth season as head coach in 2019, Martinez piloted the Aztecs to a 32-25 record, with the Scarlet and Black becoming the only Mountain West program to win at least 30 games six times since the 2013 campaign.
In April 2019, Martinez received the Center for Community Solutions Champions Award, recognizing his efforts in starting healthy relationships and consent education training with SDSU baseball student-athletes and coaches.
San Diego State entered the 2019 season as the only team in Division I baseball with five conference tournament championships in a six-year span (2013-18). The Aztecs were also one of 18 programs nationally to have played in five NCAA regionals during that stretch and one of just two programs in California, joined by only Cal State Fullerton.
Individually, six players garnered all-Mountain West accolades in 2018, led by Rudick and relief pitcher Adrian Mardueno, who received first-team recognition, while Schmitt, shortstop Angelo Armenta, outfielder Mike Jarvis and pitcher Justin Goossen-Brown were second-team honorees. In addition, Fein was named the league’s co-Freshman of the Year and was tabbed a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball magazine.
Subsequently in the MLB First-Year Player Draft, the Aztecs had four players selected in Armenta, Mardueno, pitcher Logan Boyer and outfielder Julian Escobedo.
In just his fourth year at the helm in 2018, Martinez became the fastest head coach in Mountain West history to win three conference tournament championships, marking SDSU’s fifth title in a six-year stretch. The Aztecs compiled a 39-21 record that season, becoming one of 13 programs nationally to win 39 or more games four times in a five-year span from 2014-18.
Statistically, SDSU was one of just nine teams in the country to hit over .300 in consecutive seasons in 2017-18 and led the Mountain West in earned run average in both years.
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 title in five years.
Statistically, Martinez’s offense was among the national leaders in several categories, while the defense set a school record for fielding percentage. He also coached the Mountain West Player of the Year (Danny Sheehan) and the league's Pitcher of the Year (Brett Seeburger). In all, six Aztecs earned all-conference honors while two (Danny Sheehan, Tyler Adkison) were recognized as third-team All-Americans.
In his inaugural season as head coach in 2015, Martinez saw his team capture its third consecutive Mountain West 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.
Seven Aztecs merited all-Mountain West recognition, including first-team selections Danny Sheehan, Ty France, Bubba Derby and Mark Seyler, who joined second-team honorees Steven Pallares, Chase Calabuig and Seby Zavala. The team produced a freshman All-American (Calabuig), three All-West Region selections (Derby, Pallares, Zavala), three members of the NCAA Regional all-tournament team (Derby, Pallares, Alan Trejo) and five student-athletes on the conference championship all-tourney team including the MVP (Zavala). In addition, Derby, France, Pallares, Seyler were selected in the 2015 MLB First-Year Player Draft.
During his final season as assistant coach, Martinez helped lead San Diego State to its second consecutive Mountain West title. The overall 42-21 record (.667) marked the best winning percentage for the program in 30 years. The Aztecs also appeared in their second consecutive regional, playing in Lafayette, Louisiana, as the No. 3 seed.
Following the season, SDSU had six players drafted (Michael Cederoth, Greg Allen, Brad Haynal, Tim Zier, Brandon Thomas and Justin Hepner) and saw another sign as an undrafted free agent (Evan Potter). Of the six athletes that signed after the 2014 campaign, only one (Cederoth) had been drafted before their arrival on The Mesa. In addition, Cederoth collected first-team All-America honors from Baseball America, while Ty France received third-team distinction from the publication. Martinez also played an integral role in signing the 2014 recruiting class, which was ranked as the 19th-best freshman class in the nationally by Baseball America.
After spending the previous 17 years as an assistant coach at the University of New Mexico, Martinez was hired in a similar capacity at San Diego State in July 2005, initially overseeing Aztec infielders and coaching at third base during games.
During his tenure at UNM from 1988 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.
Serving as a hitting and infield coach at New Mexico, Martinez guided a Lobo offense that became one of the most prominent in the nation. Over his final four seasons in Albuquerque, UNM was ranked among the top 11 teams in the nation in hitting. Additionally, the Lobos were among the top 10 nationally in batting, slugging, doubles, triples and homers in 2005. He also helped lead the UNM to the 2000 Mountain West Conference regular-season title.
The 59-year-old 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.
Born Dec. 18, 1961, in Aurora, Colorado, Martinez graduated from Longmont (Colo.) High School in 1980. He and wife, Jada Lucey Martinez, formerly UNM's associate athletic director for development, have two children: a daughter, Marissa, and a son, Cade.