Middletown South Class of 2017 right-handed pitcher John Martin announced his non-binding verbal commitment to play baseball at Monmouth University Thursday. Martin will be a senior at Middletown South during the upcoming 2016-17 school year.

As a junior in 2016, Martin went 5-3 with a 1.22 ERA, 34 strikeouts and 12 walks in 46 innings. He also hit .373 with nine doubles and both an on-base and slugging percentage above .500. Martin was a Shore Sports Network All-Shore Second Team Selection and a First Team All-A-North selection by the Shore Conference baseball coaches.

Martin debuted as a varsity pitcher as a sophomore in 2014, posting a 1.00 ERA in 28 innings with a 4-0 record. In two full seasons, Martin is 9-3 with a 1.13 ERA, 53 strikeouts and 19 walks in 74 innings.

While he won five decisions this past season, two of Martin's noteworthy outings came against Christian Brothers Academy right-hander and incoming freshman at North Carolina Luca Dalatri - both CBA wins. Martin pitched into the eighth inning and left with the game tied in a 3-1 CBA win in April. He then allowed two runs over five innings in the Shore Conference Tournament championship game in June, which was the game in which Dalatri set the Shore Conference all-time career wins record.

Martin's commitment adds to the list of Shore Conference players from the Class of 2017 who have committed to play Division I baseball over the summer. Marlboro's duo of shortstop Will Trochiano and catcher Gene Napolitano each committed within two weeks of one another, with Trochiano choosing Manhattan and Napolitano committing to Marist.

This past season, Napolitano hit .358 with six doubles, a home run and 18 RBI as the Mustangs' top all-around hitter. Trochiano hit .279 with a double, triple, homer and 22 runs scored and is also regarded as one of the top defenders in the Shore Conference.

Rumson outfielder Matt Fahey also committed to play at Manhattan after a breakout season in which he hit .391 with four doubles and a home run in just 46 at-bats.

Freehold Township Class of 2018 infielder Ryan Ford also committed to a Division I program this summer, choosing to continue his career at Penn State.

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