Logan drafted by Braves

Published 11:48 pm Wednesday, June 9, 2010

LORMAN — One week after being named to the first team All-State team, Natchez High graduate and Copiah-Lincoln right fielder Kendall Logan received an even bigger honor — selection in the Major League Baseball draft.

The Atlanta Braves selected Logan, who hit .385 with 32 RBI and 26 stolen bases in his sophomore season with the Wolfpack, in the 46th round on Wednesday.

“It’s exciting because I know that I’m that much closer to my dream of playing in the big leagues,” Logan said. “I can see that my dream is reachable and attainable now.”

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Logan didn’t know he had been drafted until he received a phone call from a Braves representative.

“I was working out at the time, and I got a phone call from Don Thomas with the Braves,” Logan said. “He said he was telling the head people that I was something special and they needed to draft me.”

Co-Lin assistant baseball coach Bryan Nobile said Logan’s selection was a result of the hard work he put in to get better between his freshman and sophomore years.

“He’s been in the weight room, hitting late and working out late,” Nobile said. “The things you’ve got to do to become a better player, he’s done them, and I think the (MLB) scouts recognized that.”

Nobile said Logan has worked out for scouts and they were impressed with what they saw.

“He ran a 6.47 (second) 60 (yard-dash),” Nobile said. “That’s the thing scouts look for. Arm strength, speed, hitting (for power and average) and throwing. All the tools of the game, and he’s got five of them.”

Logan has signed to play baseball for Jackson State in the fall, and said he is leaning toward honoring that scholarship playing for the Tigers.

“I’m going to talk with my parents, but more than likely I probably will go to school and get better,” Logan said. “Then I can be drafted much higher in a couple of years.”

Logan wasn’t the only member of his family to be selected in the MLB draft.

His cousin, Jordan Buckley, who hails from Dallas and played for New Mexico Junior College last season, was selected in the 21st round, also by the Braves.

“That’s crazy,” Logan said. “It just feels funny having both of us drafted by the same team. You hardly ever see something like that happen.”