The award is presented to the most outstanding player in DII college baseball. The annual honor is named after the former University of Tampa Spartan, United States Olympian, first round draft pick and MLB All-Star, Tino Martinez.

Brault tops the RMAC with 86 strikeouts, while ranking second with a 1.51 ERA and third with six wins.  He is also tearing up the plate ranking fifth in the RMAC with a .407 batting average.

A pair of pitchers, Rene Solis of St. Mary's (TX) and Ryan Thompson of Franklin Pierce headline the list. Solis was a finalist last season after leading the Rattlers to the DII Championships in Cary, NC. Thompson was one of eight finalists from 2011 when the Ravens were a game away from being one of the final eight teams remaining. Dozens of other Preseason All American candidates, All Conference performers and MLB prospects comprise the rest of the list.

Initial nominations for the award were made by baseball sports information contacts, coaches and media members. A panel of media, coaches and sports information officers was polled to finalize the candidates and determine the winner. A fan Internet vote also contributes to the final vote.

The recipient of the 2012 Tino Martinez Award was senior first baseman Nathan Minnich of Shepherd University (W.Va.). Minnich finished the season batting .487 (74 for 152) with 21 home runs, 12 doubles and 72 RBIs, while racking up a .980 slugging percentage. He led the country in slugging percentage, on-base percentage, walks per game and RBIs.

Chase Larsson of the Cameron Aggies was the recipient of the award last season after leading DII in home runs (29), RBI (84), slugging percentage (1.000) and total bases (190). Mount Olive's Carter Capps, the 2011 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association's National Pitcher of the Year, finished in a close second.

Erskine's Bryan Fogle won the first edition of the award in 2010 after batting .430 and leading DII with 28 home runs, 103 RBI (the second most in NCAA history) and 203 total bases. The Flying Fleet star was drafted by Tampa Bay following the season. Runner-up Hayden Simpson of Southern Arkansas was a first round draft choice of the Chicago Cubs.