HS BASEBALL: McAlester's Bryson Martin signs with Cowley College
Nov. 15—Bryson Martin has been looking forward to this moment for quite some time — but it got here quicker than he expected.
The McAlester pitcher signed his National Letter of Intent to play college baseball for Cowley College in Arkansas City, Kansas, during a signing ceremony at McAlester High School on Monday. And looking back on his time in school, Martin said he couldn't believe he was already into his senior year.
"It got here fast. It felt like yesterday I was in the fourth grade," Martin said. "Four years of high school went by fast."
Martin made his way to McAlester after previously attending school at Asher.
He said going from a small school to a larger one seemed like a daunting task at first, but all those worries melted on his first day as a Buff.
"It was actually a lot easier than I thought it was going to be," Martin said. "I already knew some people, so I just kind of fit right in and went with the flow."
Martin is able to play many positions on the field, but he's most at home on the mound.
Although he has an array of pitches to choose from in his arsenal, there's one that he says stands out above the rest.
"Probably my slider. I've developed my slider a lot," Martin said. "Now it's probably my go-to pitch."
Martin was also productive at the plate last season — hitting a .395 batting average, .490 on-base percentage, 24 runs, 32 RBIs, and one home run.
He plans to continue to chase his dreams of making it into pro baseball, but he also wants to seek out a degree in environmental safety as well.
But first, he'll be beginning his career at Cowley. The Tigers are coached by Darren Burroughs, who has earned a record of 62 wins and 17 losses in his two years at the helm of the program.
Martin said he's thrilled to be able to continue his athletic career to the next level, and that he'll continue to spend time at the place that's always been a big part of who he is as a person — the baseball diamond.
"I've done it since I was a kid, and now it's just part of my life and I just love it," Martin said. "I love going out and being able to compete with my guys."
Contact Derek Hatridge at dhatridge@mcalesternews.com.
