Former Central Standout Martin Joins Exclusive Club with White Sox Pick; Sawyer Drafted a Second Time.

LUBBOCK, TX-- Former Central Bobcat and current Texas Tech Red Raider Davis Martin joined an exclusive club of baseball players from Central High School on Wednesday.

Martin, a right-handed pitcher, was selected in the 14th round of the Major League Baseball’s 2018 First-Year Player Draft by the Chicago White Sox with the 408th pick.

Only one other former Central Bobcat has been drafted. That was Josh Sawyer in 2013 when he was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 32nd round.

"Those two guys put us on the map," Central skipper Patrick Penry said of Martin and Sawyer. "When you look at when we started winning and making playoffs, it was because of guys like them."

Penry would go on to recall a story from 2011 or 2012 when Sawyer guaranteed a playoff berth to local media.

"I told him that when you do that, you put a target on your back," Penry added. "He told me it didn't matter because we were going to make it happen."

Sawyer elected to go to the University of Texas in 2013 instead of the pros. At UT, he missed good portions of the last two seasons due to injury before storming back this year to bolster the Longhorn's bullpen. This year, Sawyer was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 16th round with the 488th pick.

Martin and Sawyer, who still have one year of collegiate eligibility, would also be just the sixth and seventh Bobcats to go professional. They have until July 6 to make a decision whether to stay at their colleges or sign a professional contract.

Sawyer, a relief pitcher for the Longhorns, has pitched the most games this season for Texas with 28 appearances under his belt. He's thrown 28 and 2/3 innings this year out of the bullpen with a 3.77 ERA and 30 strikeouts. The 2013 Central grad has also allowed just seven extra-base hits while holding opponents to a meager .222 batting average. 

In 2014, his junior season, Martin helped set the Central record for most wins in a baseball season with 27. That year Martin went 11-1 as a starter with an impressive 1.05 ERA.

The 2015 graduate of Central High School attended Texas Tech, where he has featured for the Red Raiders in all three seasons.

Martin holds the third lowest ERA for the Red Raiders this season at  4.56 with a 7-5 record in 15 appearances, all of which were starts. The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder has also struck out a team-leading 71 batters with more games to come.

"These guys deserve all the recognition they can get," Penry said. "We had our little league camp today and I texted them. I congratulated them, but told them to first go win a National Championship."

The Red Raiders are in the Super Regional round of the NCAA tournament for the third consecutive year.  Martin picked up his seventh win of the year to punch the Red Raider’s ticket to the Super Regional against Louisville on Sunday.

Martin, a Freshman All-American in 2016, was also credited with the winning decision in Texas Tech's first-ever win at the 2016 College World Series in Omaha, Neb., where the Red Raiders beat then-no. 1-ranked Florida in shutout fashion. Martin allowed just three hits with three strikeouts in that win.

Martin, a projected second or third round pick by MLB scouts, had to wait a little for his name to be called, but eventually joined four other Texas Tech teammates who were drafted previously. He is the fourth Texas Tech pitcher drafted this year.

Sawyer and the Longhorns are also eyeing another trip to Omaha. They host Tennessee Tech in the Super Regional this weekend.

Tech and Texas could meet in the College World Series which presents a familiar dilemma for Central's skipper.

"It'd be the same as when they play in the Big 12," Penry laughed. "You've just got to root for your guys in that situation."

Texas opens their Super Regional at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 9, at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. Tech hosts the Duke Blue Devils at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park starting Saturday at 2 p.m. as well.