Gripping a baseball bat with his Notre Dame baseball jerseys hanging nearby, Marquette's new principal Casey Martin poses in the classroom he leaves behind. (Bob Wellinski photo)
MICHIGAN CITY - Casey Martin has seen his share of pitches during his years of playing baseball. Off the field, Martin has been able to fight off a few curveballs life has thrown at him, including being involved in a devastating accident that nearly cost him his life.
“It’s a wild story and I think about it a lot. From where I’m sitting now, I’ve really begun to appreciate how all this has been part of a plan that has unfolded,” said Martin.
On Jan. 4, Martin took the mound as Marquette’s new principal, coming in from the bullpen to replace Allyson Headd. After nearly nine years at Marquette, Headd was hired as principal at her alma mater, Bishop Grimes Jr./Sr. High School, in Syracuse, New York.
“I’m looking forward to the semester because it’s the kind of job where you’ve got to get in there and start going. Ally’s done a great job preparing me. Once you get in there, there's a lot you just have to roll with--including the pandemic,” said Martin.
Martin shared his “wild story” from being a three-sport athlete at Chesterton High School to Marquette’s principal, sitting behind a desk he handcrafted. He also made a conference table, complete with a Marquette logo.
His passion for baseball in high school earned him a four-year scholarship at Indiana State University — or so he thought. ISU hired a new coach during his freshman year who “cleaned house” following Martin’s sophomore year. Martin was left without a spot on the team and no scholarship. “I assumed it was a four-year deal, but it was not. I was devastated and completely defeated. I didn’t know what I was going to do,” recalled Martin.
He said that’s when a “crazy series of events started to unfold.”
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