ISU head softball coach Ruth Crowe found out that good things really do come in small packages in her star player Erica Martinez.

Standing at only 5-foot-3, Martinez was never really sought after by Iowa State but joined the program anyway.

“Erica wasn’t heavily recruited, if at all,” Crowe said. “Everyone said that she was too small or this and that, but she’s been a huge impact player for our program. She’s a major contributor both offensively and defensively. She brings both sides of the game.”

Martinez proved that size doesn’t matter even before she began her career at Iowa State as she set several Iowa high school records including career home runs (47) and homers in a season (24). At Iowa State, she holds the career home run record (25) and has the third-best career batting average (.320).

A native of Fort Madison, Martinez got into softball at the young age of 9, mainly due to her family’s large involvement in the sport.

“I grew up watching my dad play slow pitch and fast pitch softball,” Martinez said. “That’s when I got interested.”

Martinez’s father, Eric, also coached her in high school and her brother, Tyson, played for Iowa State in 2000.

Martinez said she chose Iowa State because she knew she wanted to play big-time softball.

“I really wanted to play Division I and the Big 12 is one of the best conferences in the country,” Martinez said. “I really liked that level of competition.”

Although she is still a dominating player, Martinez has found that there are vast differences between high school and college sports.

“In college, everybody’s good, you don’t really have any easy games,” Martinez said. “Every player in the lineup is good. You can’t look down on any player or team.”

As a standout senior, Martinez said she tries to lead her team by example rather than with words.

“I lead more by action than by being vocal,” she said. “I try to do my best and get a rally going just by playing hard and doing my part.”

“Erica lets her performance do the talking for her,” Crowe said.

“That’s made it very difficult for her to be hurt the last few weeks.”

Martinez was sidelined for the last few weeks with a stress fracture in her pitching arm before returning to action on April 13 in Iowa State’s win over Baylor.

Crowe hopes Martinez’s return will give the team good momentum heading into the end of the season.

“I really think that she is hoping to provide great leadership for us heading into the end of our season and the end of her [college] career,” Crowe said.

Being a star at both pitching and hitting, Martinez said she really has no preference as to which she likes better.

Her coach, on the other hand, feels slightly different, but knows she can get the job done from both sides of the plate.

“She’s an impact player because she can turn a game around with one swing of the bat and she has the ability to do the same from the mound,” Crowe said. “I think she loves hitting more than anything. She’s a natural hitter. She could hit all day long.

“However, earlier this year, Erica was throwing better than she had ever hit before. She’s kind of like the reluctant pitcher but yet she’s very, very good. She has great command of her pitches.”

A common strategy for many pitchers in softball and baseball is to go into each game with a certain mindset. Martinez is no different, but likes to keep her plan simple.

“I just try to keep a clear mind,” she said. “In the past I’ve had problems with my mind going 100 miles per hour in every direction. I would just think about too much.”

Martinez is also not afraid to try and intimidate her opposing batters if need be.

“If they’re really aggressive, then I will be right back,” she said.

Nearing the end of her college career, Martinez plans to continue on with softball in some way after she gains her marketing degree and coaching certificate. She said playing softball in Europe this summer is a possibility and she also hopes to coach in the years to come.

“It [softball] has always been a part of my life, so if I can’t play, then I want to coach,” Martinez said.

Crowe knows there will be a big void to fill in the team with Martinez’s departure, but is happy just the same to have been able to coach her.

“A lot of people missed the boat on her and I’m just happy that we had the chance to have her in a Cyclone uniform,” Crowe said.

“She will be missed.”