Brett Martinez and Don Giamanco, both natives of St. Louis, have signed to play baseball at Carl Sandburg College during the 2012 season.

Martinez, a shortstop, will graduate from Mehlville Senior High School this spring. Last summer he batted .333, had an on-base percentage over .400 and stole 10 bases in the 30 games he played for the Rawlings Titans, a club baseball team based out of St. Louis.

“Brett is a very good all around player,” CSC coach T.J. Lindburg stated in a news release. “He is a very sound and polished defensive player at shortstop. He also has the ability to be a major contributor offensively. He can run well, get on base and has some pop in his bat, which allows him to drive balls into the gaps.”

Giamanco, an outfielder, also will graduate from MHS this spring. Last summer he appeared in 16 games for the Titans. He batted .333, had two doubles, two home runs, 12 RBIs and five stolen bases.

“Don can do a number of things well on the baseball field,” Lindburg stated. “The first time I saw him play, I was very impressed with his natural left handed swing. Don can also run well and really go get balls in the outfield. It was really important for me to get a couple of left handed bats for next year and I believe we got a good one with Don.”

Curt Ford, a former Major Leaguer who played for both the St. Louis Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies, played a part in both Martinez and Giamanco signing to play baseball at CSC.

“Don and Brett were highly recommended to me by Curt, who has coached and worked with them both since they were kids. These two boys will be prepared for college baseball. They compete in a huge baseball area rich in talent,” Lindburg stated. “I would like to publicly thank Mr. Ford, as this makes three talented players that he has helped me land. The third player is Andrew Sprenke. I am very excited about the recruiting class so far and how our freshmen are playing early on this year. I am looking forward to the future of our program.”