INAUGURAL POTW

It's only week one, but Dave Martino wasted no time making his case as one of the most reliable bats in Trinity's lineup — and honestly, one of the most reliable bats in the whole league if the first night is any indication.

In Trinity's opening doubleheader sweep of First Baptist — 14-6 and 6-2 — Martino was the most consistent hitter on the field from start to finish. He went 5-for-6 across both games with 3 RBIs, scored 4 runs, and finished the night with a .833 batting average and an OPS of 1.690. He also drew a walk, giving him a .857 on-base percentage. Put it all together and you've got a guy who reached base in six of his seven plate appearances. That's not a hot streak — that's a player who came ready to play.

What made his night stand out wasn't one big flashy moment. There was no walk-off hit or bases-clearing double that everyone's going to be talking about at practice next week. It was something harder to do and honestly more valuable — every single time Martino stepped into the box, he did something with it. He put the ball in play, he got on base, and he scored runs. In a game where one cold stretch from the lineup can let a team hang around and make things interesting, Martino just kept delivering. Five hits in six at-bats is about as locked in as you can possibly get.

For Trinity, who was looking to set the tone early in the 2026 summer season, having a guy hit like that at the top of the order changes everything. It puts pressure on the defense right away, it keeps the lineup moving, and it gives the guys hitting behind him more opportunities. His 4 runs scored were the most on the team by a wide margin, and you can draw a direct line from his at-bats to how those big innings got started.

He also showed his versatility in the field on the same night. Martino started game one out in left center field, then moved to shortstop for game two. That's two completely different spots on the field that require two completely different skill sets, and he handled both without missing a beat. Not every guy on a roster can do that — switch from tracking fly balls in the outfield to fielding ground balls and turning double plays on the infield all in the same evening. That kind of flexibility is huge for a team, because it gives the lineup more options and keeps everyone on their toes.

It's just week one, and there's a long summer ahead. But if Dave Martino keeps playing like this, his name is going to come up a lot when people start talking about who's been carrying Trinity in 2026. The team is off to a clean 2-0 start, and he deserves a big chunk of the credit for that.

This week's Player of the Week announcement was also featured on Trinity's YouTube channel as part of the Week 1 recap video. If you haven't checked it out yet, go give it a watch — and while you're there, make sure you subscribe. The plan is to keep the channel going all summer long with weekly recaps, gameday videos, and plenty of other fun stuff along the way. It's going to be a great way to follow the team all season, so don't miss out.