PA High School Baseball: Neshaminy closes out state playoff win
Neshaminy gets the final out and celebrates its 3-1 PIAA Class 6A state quarterfinal baseball win over Coatesville
Neshaminy standout pitcher Steven Martin was looking forward to his senior year, only for elbow surgery to keep him from playing.Martin has remained an important part of the team by giving advice, hitting fungoes and doing whatever he can for state semifinal-bound Neshaminy.
PLYMOUTH MEETING — Steven Martin would change one aspect of his 2024 Neshaminy baseball experience if given the chance.
“Last year I didn’t think I wouldn’t be pitching senior season,” Martin said. “I wish I had taken a step back and enjoyed my junior season more.”
Martin has been unable to play his final high school campaign he’d “been looking forward to almost my entire life” due to right elbow surgery and then apparent biceps tendinitis.
While that’s kept him off the mound, it hasn’t stoped Martin from having an impact on the team.
As one of three team captains, along with seniors Danny Nocito and Jake Plebani, Martin goes to every game and practice. He helps the pitchers, makes suggestions, hits fungoes and does whatever he can.
“(He’s a) kid who never missed a practice all year and couldn’t do a thing,” said Neshaminy head coach Dan Toner. “(He has an) elite mindset as a captain for us.”
Neshaminy rallied in the seventh inning to defeat Coatesville 3-1 in Thursday’s PIAA Class 6A state quarterfinals at Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth Township, advancing to Monday’s semifinals against District One champion North Penn back at Villanova Ballpark (3 p.m.). Neshaminy (17-8) finished fourth in the district playoffs.
After a strong sophomore season and in the midst of an even better junior campaign, the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Martin began experiencing arm pain. He ended up being Neshaminy’s postseason closer, keeping his pitch count down by going two or three innings on the way to Neshaminy’s school-record 21 wins and the state quarterfinals.
PA High School Baseball: Martin lending hand despite injury
After undergoing surgery on his right elbow, Neshaminy senior pitcher Steven Martin hasn’t missed a practice or game this season
He earned Suburban One League Patriot Division second-team honors in each of the two previous seasons, accumulating a 9-2 record with seven saves and 93 strikeouts in 79 innings. His 2024 ERA was 1.07.
The elbow kept bothering him and he eventually underwent surgery on Sept. 11 to have a piece of bone and cartilage reattached to the bone. Dr. John Horneff, an orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, performed the procedure.
Expecting to pitch as Neshaminy’s ace this spring, Martin rehabilitated the elbow from September until January, when the shoulder became the bigger issue. Practice started in March and the pain persisted.
Diagnosed with biceps tendinitis, he’s still seeking answers. He had a CT scan and is scheduled to see Dr. Jarrod Predina, a general thoracic surgeon, on Monday at Penn.
“I miss that feeling of striking a guy out and getting that win,” Martin said. “Nothing replaces that feeling — walking around the mound hearing everybody cheer for you (and) knowing your team’s got you.
“I love having the game in my hand and the pressure. I’ve always done well under pressure. That’s my favorite part of the game.”
An 18-year-old from Langhorne, Martin experienced another medical setback last weekend.
His stomach bothered him when he woke up May 30, the morning of his senior prom at Adventure Aquarium in Camden. Martin arrived at the prom, but the pain was much worse. He never went into the prom, instead calling mom Jill, who drove him to the emergency room at St. Mary’s Medical Center.
Turns out he needed his appendix removed. That occurred the next day (Saturday), he was released from the Langhorne hospital Sunday and back in the dugout for Neshaminy’s 3-1 opening-round state playoff win over Parkland on Monday.
“He’s a great teammate,” said senior No. 1 pitcher/shortstop Chase Bonner. “He knows a lot about the game and helps the pitchers and stuff. All of the advice from him is just great.”
Martin hopes to get a better idea what’s wrong with his shoulder Monday at Penn and is eager to start throwing again, with the beginning of his college career at Division II Bloomsburg looming.
“I’ve learned not to take anything for granted, especially with elbow surgery,” Martin said. “There’s always a possibility you’ll never throw a baseball again. That’s a slight fear in the back of my head.”
Tom Moore: tmoore@couriertimes.com; @TomMoorePhilly is a sports columnist for PhillyBurbs.com. Support our journalism with a subscription.