Wichita State loses recruit to Marlins
Wichita State’s baseball recruiting class took a hit before the professional draft ended.
Pitcher Blake Logan didn’t need time to consider his options once Miami met his asking price. He will sign with the club and bypass Wichita State after the Marlins grabbed him in the 13th round on Tuesday. By Wednesday morning, the final day of the draft, he called Shocker coaches to tell them his decision.
“This is a once-in-a-liftime thing,” he said. “This is why I play baseball, to get drafted.”
Logan, a sophomore at Eastern Oklahoma State College, was expected to earn a spot in WSU’s weekend rotation next season, perhaps as the No. 1 starter. He went 11-2 with a 1.55 earned run average and 124 strikeouts in 93 innings.
“It’s frustrating,” WSU pitching coach Brent Kemnitz said. “He was a big-time, legit guy.”
Logan, a right-hander, said the Marlins agreed to his demands of a bonus of $125,000 and college tuition. Once they did, he felt obligated to sign. He was looking forward to playing with childhood friend Dayne Parker, an infielder at WSU who is also from Roff, Okla. Logan was playing summer baseball with Shocker catcher Tyler Baker, and told him he expected to go to school once 12 round passed. He weighed the chance of improving his draft status after a season at WSU against the possibility of injury.
“They gave me what I wanted, and I’m not going to go back on my word,” he said.. “It’s sad that I’m not going to Wichita. I was really excited about playing with (Parker).”
The draft will not hurt WSU beyond Logan.
No other Shocker with eligibility or incoming recruit was selected.
Senior pitcher Josh Smith went in the 25th round to Pittsburgh.
Three freshmen honored — Shocker pitchers Kris Gardner and A.J. Ladwig and first baseman Casey Gillaspie were named Freshman All-Americans by Collegiate Baseball.
Gardner, a lefty from Coppell, Texas, went 5-2 with a 2.66 ERA. Ladwig, from Omaha, went 4-1 with a 3.14 ERA. Gillaspie, from Omaha, hit .274 with 10 doubles and 32 RBI. His eight home runs are the most by a freshman at WSU since 1987, when Eric Wedge hit 11.
Coughenour selects school — Former Shocker infielder Tyler Coughenour will transfer to NCAA Division II Angelo (Texas) State.
Coughenour, from Collegiate, started 15 games as a sophomore before he was suspended for a violation of team rules. He hit .250 in 20 games, most at second base. As a freshman, he started 43 games and hit .259.
This story was originally published June 6, 2012 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Wichita State loses recruit to Marlins."