Before he returned to Florida for the start of spring practice, shortstop Richie Martin did some light reading.
One book he read was "The Inner Game of Tennis," a book whose first chapter starts off like this: "It’s not that I don’t know what to do, it’s that I don’t do what I know."
After an inconsistent sophomore campaign in which Martin finished with a .265 batting average — down from hitting .300 his freshman year — Martin decided to get away from the game.
"Sometimes you can think about things too much," Martin said. "So I actually read a few books, talked to some people about things and it gave me a new insight on just playing the game and a different perspective about things."
The books Martin read all focused on the importance of playing with a relaxed mind and learning how to tame your thought process during a game.
To Martin, none was more helpful than "The Inner Game of Tennis."
"I’m telling you, that thing was a game changer for me," he said.
Coach Kevin O’Sullivan has noticed the difference.
"I have seen some growth, maturity wise," O’Sullivan said of Martin. "But he’s always been a great player, a really hard worker."
Aside from his commitment to improve on the mental aspect of the game, Martin gained 10 pounds over the fall and said he feels stronger.
He competed for the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League over the summer and finished second in the league with a .364 batting average, and first with 59 hits and 36 runs.
Martin also compiled 20 RBIs and 17 stolen bases in 43 games with the Braves.
"I think the biggest thing in baseball is how you deal with failure," UF and Cape League teammate Harrison Bader said. "…Richie, obviously coming off the summer he had, I’m sure he prepared a tremendous amount to perform at that level, and he’s done that day in and day out."
With the first game of the season in just over two weeks, Martin will try to carry his success from the summer over into the spring.
O’Sullivan said he feels comfortable placing Martin in the leadoff spot or anywhere in the top three, and that the junior’s play will be paramount to UF’s success this season.
"He’s had a great summer in the Cape Cod League, he had a great fall, and he’s off to a great start this spring," O’Sullivan said.
"So obviously for us to get to where we need to get to, he needs to have a great spring, and I fully expect him to do that."
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Richie Martin hits during Florida’s 9-7 loss against Maryland on Feb. 15 at McKethan Stadium. Martin went 3-for-3 at the plate and scored three runs in UF's 8-2 win against USF on Tuesday.
