A milestone season for the Vikings
Connor Martin, a sophomore pitcher for Valley City State University, has been named College Male Athlete of the Year by the North Dakota Associated Press Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, an honor that underscores his extraordinary impact on the program.
Martin’s 134 strikeouts this season broke a 39‑year‑old single‑season record and placed him at the top of the NAIA leaderboard, while his career strikeout rate of 12.62 per nine innings ranks third in school history for pitchers with at least 75 innings.
Across 148.1 innings as a Viking, he recorded 208 strikeouts, positioning him third all‑time in the university’s record books, and in 2026 he finished 9‑4 with a 3.66 ERA over 17 appearances, including three complete games and two shutouts.
His achievement marks the first time a male athlete from Valley City State has received the award since its inception in 1968, and he becomes only the fourth VCSU athlete to earn recognition from the organization, joining previous winners Emily Smith, Wanda Schwab and Lori Zacher.
The accolade also shines a light on the broader athletic culture at VCSU, where two coaches — Jim Dew and Mike Mook — have previously been honored as Coach of the Year, and historic teams from 1978 football, 1981 football and 2019 softball have captured Team of the Year awards.