DENVER – Brice Martinez has worked his way to the top.
 
Quickly.
 
MSU Denver's versatile true freshman didn't start the first three games of the season, batted ninth and got his first start in the season's fourth game, stayed in the 9-hole for six games, then moved up to No. 2 and finally to the leadoff spot in the Roadrunners' lineup last weekend.
 
"Ideally you'd like to have a freshman down in the lineup," Metropolitan State University of Denver coach Ryan Strain said. "Especially with the pitching we saw last weekend, which was as good as we'll see all year. It was a huge challenge for any of our guys, let alone a freshman who hasn't played a ton. But we decided we needed to move him up and get him as many at-bats as possible."
 
As the Roadrunners prepare for a three-game home series this weekend against Sioux Falls (S.D.), Martinez is batting .370, second-best on the team among regulars, and is on a five-game hitting streak in which he is batting .471 (8-for-17). He was 5-for-11 (.455) and hit his first career homer in the three-game series at Central Oklahoma.
 
"My swing is feeling good right now," Martinez said. "I've just got to keep doing what I'm doing and not try to do too much. That can be an issue with me, trying to do too much when I get rolling and I have some things go bad. So I just want to do what I do best: hit the ball and run."
 
Not only has Martinez shown the ability to hit anywhere in the Roadrunners' lineup, he's also shown the ability to play anywhere in the field, too.
 
"When we recruited him, we really liked his athleticism and his versatility," Strain said. "I really didn't know when we signed him whether he would play the outfield or the infield. I was thinking outfield more than infield probably, but he continued to work at it and has gotten a lot better defensively in the infield as a senior and since he's gotten here.
 
"He's given himself the chance to play anywhere. I really feel fine with him playing anywhere except maybe pitcher and catcher. He's played well and we've struggled in some areas, so it's allowed him to move into some positions where we didn't anticipate him playing this early in his career."
 
Martinez played both third base and shortstop last weekend. He said he doesn't mind playing anywhere.
 
"I love playing all positions," he said. "Wherever he puts me is a good spot, because that's the lineup he's putting out there that he thinks can win that day."
 
Those built-to-win lineups will most likely include Martinez moving forward.
 
"He's going to be in there," Strain said. "Because of his versatility, he could play several positions – even this weekend. He's earned the right to stay in there and play."
 
Strain said Martinez shows uncommon confidence and composure for a young player.
 
"The best thing about him is that he just plays hard," Strain said. "He just grinds. He doesn't fear anything. He doesn't make excuses. He just plays hard. And I think that's why he's had success early. He's not thinking about the ramifications of anything. He just knows that he's in there and he's going to take some hacks.
 
"And he really does. Most at-bats, he gets three good hacks at it if he hasn't put the ball in play."
 
MSU Denver is off to a 2-9 start, though seven of the losses have been by three runs or less. The Roadrunners are looking to turn a corner this weekend.
 
"We're hoping to get some things rolling this week," Martinez said. "We want to get things rolling before conference play. We want to be good when it really counts."
 
The Roadrunners swept a three-game series with Sioux Falls last year. The Cougars are picked to finish 14^th in the 15-team Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, but they already own a win over a Montana State-Billings, a team that roughed up RMAC power Colorado School of Mines in a three-game sweep.
 
"They'll play hard, without a doubt," Strain said. "They're going to scrap and claw. They scored quite a few runs against Billings. We play good teams. The bottom line is we have to play better, execute better, and ultimately just start swinging the bats better.
 
"I like that fact that we're going to be at home and hopefully we can get on a roll. But we're going to have to play well to beat them."