Armando Albert (left) applies the tag on John Martinez (right) during a fall instraqaud scrimmage on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at Condron Family Ballpark in Gainesville, Fla.
Meet the Gators: Armando Albert & John Martinez
Wednesday, January 3, 2024 | Baseball
Meet the rookie and the vet. The 2023-24 Meet the Gators series concludes with Armando Albert and John Martinez – two infield stars who arrived in Gainesville via very different paths but with one shared goal: to win for the Orange and Blue.
In line to wear No. 44 for the Gators, Albert joins the squad for his senior season after a stellar two years at Florida Atlantic. This is not the first transfer of his collegiate career, as he begun his journey at Santa Fe Community College. Meanwhile, Martinez hails from Orlando, Fla. as a graduate of Montverde Academy and will rep No. 23 at UF.
Originally from Plantation, Fla., Albert tallied 113 games including 112 starts at Florida Atlantic, batting .263/.417/.382 with 11 homers, 13 doubles, 121 runs, 49 RBI and 28 steals across 437 at bats. Known for his superb glove, he fielded to a .929 clip in 482 defensive chances primarily at shortstop for the Owls. Against Western Kentucky in 2023, he set the program record for assists in a single game with 11.
Albert served as Florida Atlantic's leadoff hitter for most of his tenure while setting team records for stolen bases in (3 vs. FIU; May 1, 2022) and runs scored in a single game (5 vs. Rice; April 2, 2023). Most notably, he finished the 2023 season riding a 31-game on-base streak to conclude with a .274/.425/.407 slash line. Albert even made a visit to Condron Family Ballpark last season against the Gators on March 7, going 1-for-5 with two runs and one RBI in what would become an 18-11 marathon win for Florida.
Prior to his time at Florida Atlantic, Albert spent the 2021 campaign at Santa Fe CC where he hit .312 with a .417 on-base percentage. He also previously competed at Broward College and produced a .357 batting average.
As the son of Jerry and Maria Albert, Armando has two sisters, Ariana (twin) and Carolena, and one brother, Gerard. Armando was coached by his father at Belen Jesuit Prep during his high school career, where he was a FACA State and HBSN Miami All-Star and the 2019 team MVP.
Turning over the lineup card to Martinez, the Montverde Academy product held status as a letterwinner under head coach Victor Valencia. Across 24 games his senior season, he posted a .379/.529/.469 batting line backed by 25 hits, six doubles, 29 runs and 18 RBI.
In his final prep campaign, Martinez struck out just six times across 88 plate appearances for a miniscule 6.8% strikeout rate while drawing more than three times as many walks (20). The five-foot-11, 190-pounder also showed some speed, swiping a perfect 11 bases in as many attempts as a senior.
In the showcase ranks, Martinez made a name for himself by collecting three Perfect Game Preseason Honorable Mention All-Region nods along with a whopping 16 all-tournament team selections over the last six years. He was also tabbed the No. 30 shortstop recruit in the state of Florida per PG.
John is the son of Karen Rouco and Juan Martinez. He has two brothers, Armand and Jonathon.
Season Ticket Information
Season tickets are currently on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online or by contacting the Gator Ticket Office at (352) 375-4683. Season ticket prices and availability can be accessed directly here.
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In line to wear No. 44 for the Gators, Albert joins the squad for his senior season after a stellar two years at Florida Atlantic. This is not the first transfer of his collegiate career, as he begun his journey at Santa Fe Community College. Meanwhile, Martinez hails from Orlando, Fla. as a graduate of Montverde Academy and will rep No. 23 at UF.
Originally from Plantation, Fla., Albert tallied 113 games including 112 starts at Florida Atlantic, batting .263/.417/.382 with 11 homers, 13 doubles, 121 runs, 49 RBI and 28 steals across 437 at bats. Known for his superb glove, he fielded to a .929 clip in 482 defensive chances primarily at shortstop for the Owls. Against Western Kentucky in 2023, he set the program record for assists in a single game with 11.
Armando Albert (@FAUBaseball) sent this one way out to RF for a leadoff shot. Turned over the inside hard & lifted it nicely to give the Owls a 1-0 lead pic.twitter.com/wsqVQZFEyk
— PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) April 15, 2023
Albert served as Florida Atlantic's leadoff hitter for most of his tenure while setting team records for stolen bases in (3 vs. FIU; May 1, 2022) and runs scored in a single game (5 vs. Rice; April 2, 2023). Most notably, he finished the 2023 season riding a 31-game on-base streak to conclude with a .274/.425/.407 slash line. Albert even made a visit to Condron Family Ballpark last season against the Gators on March 7, going 1-for-5 with two runs and one RBI in what would become an 18-11 marathon win for Florida.
Prior to his time at Florida Atlantic, Albert spent the 2021 campaign at Santa Fe CC where he hit .312 with a .417 on-base percentage. He also previously competed at Broward College and produced a .357 batting average.
As the son of Jerry and Maria Albert, Armando has two sisters, Ariana (twin) and Carolena, and one brother, Gerard. Armando was coached by his father at Belen Jesuit Prep during his high school career, where he was a FACA State and HBSN Miami All-Star and the 2019 team MVP.
Turning over the lineup card to Martinez, the Montverde Academy product held status as a letterwinner under head coach Victor Valencia. Across 24 games his senior season, he posted a .379/.529/.469 batting line backed by 25 hits, six doubles, 29 runs and 18 RBI.
John Martinez '23 (FL) - SS@MontverdeSports @GatorsBB Recruit
— Cayden Hatcher (@C_Hatcher_PBR) February 15, 2023
5'11" 190 lbs.
Consistent barrels during BP in mid 90 EVs. Works direct to baseball w/ level to uphill path.
Bat speed plays. Intriguing follow. #PBRPreseasonClassic || @PBRFlorida pic.twitter.com/hm2i23uq2s
In his final prep campaign, Martinez struck out just six times across 88 plate appearances for a miniscule 6.8% strikeout rate while drawing more than three times as many walks (20). The five-foot-11, 190-pounder also showed some speed, swiping a perfect 11 bases in as many attempts as a senior.
In the showcase ranks, Martinez made a name for himself by collecting three Perfect Game Preseason Honorable Mention All-Region nods along with a whopping 16 all-tournament team selections over the last six years. He was also tabbed the No. 30 shortstop recruit in the state of Florida per PG.
John is the son of Karen Rouco and Juan Martinez. He has two brothers, Armand and Jonathon.
Season Ticket Information
Season tickets are currently on sale now. Tickets can be purchased online or by contacting the Gator Ticket Office at (352) 375-4683. Season ticket prices and availability can be accessed directly here.
Follow the Gators
#GoGators
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