By: Lee Ramsey
lee@seymourherald.com
Logan Sawyer, a familiar figure on the mound for the past several years at Seymour High School, has signed a letter-of-intent to play baseball for Lincoln Memorial University.
The 6-foot-5-inch tall, right handed heat thrower was All IMAC the last two years and Pitcher of the Year for 2010.
He wasn’t shabby in the batting category either, hitting around .400 for the season and second on the team in RBI’s.
His signing day was the culmination of hard work for years. Sawyer started playing baseball at the early age of 3.  To say baseball has always been an important factor in his life is an understatement.
“I’ve loved baseball since I was little kid.  I was born with a glove in my hand,” Sawyer said. “Coach Norman has really helped me.
“I’m really excited about going to LMU.  We went to visit LMU a few weeks ago and it was amazing.  The baseball facility is great.  Cody Church (a former Eagle player) was up there for three years and said it was absolutely phenomenal.  I called them three or four days (after the visit) and told them I wanted to commit.”
Other schools were interested in Sawyer but he chose LMU in Harrogate.
“I feel like it was the right decision.  God’s helped me in this decision,” Sawyer said. “I give him all the glory.  It was the right place for me to be.  The campus is really beautiful.
“I’m excited because I want to live up to my potential and have another signing day, going pro or something.  But I need to take it one day at a time and work my way up and bust my tail.”
“This is a great opportunity for Logan.  He’s worked hard for this,” Sammy Sawyer (Logan’s dad) said.
“He’s been a great leader for us,” Coach Norman said.  “He’s one of those guys that doesn’t miss a workout.  He gives it everything he has, and he leads by example. When I come in there every day at the end of school, he’s one of the first guys in there dressed and ready to go.  He’s one of the guys that stay late.  
“When we’re out there in July doing some running after long-toss, he’s out there leading the pack.  You wouldn’t believe how much hard work it takes to get to play at the next level.
“There are so many guys that have the talent, but don’t have the work ethic (Logan does).
“But what makes him special is his best baseball is ahead of him.  You don’t want to be topped out in high school.  There are some guys that are, and there’s nothing they can do about it.  
“Genetically, they’re as fast as they’re going to get.  They’re as good as they’re going to get. Their window of ability is limited.  But for Logan, he’s still got a long way to go.  I think when he’s a junior in college he’ll be throwing the ball in the 90’s.  I really do.  When you grab a ball, and you put it in your hand and it looks like a ping-pong ball – that’s what the pro scouts like.  His size.  He’s 6 foot 5.  Those professional scouts love size.  
“Hopefully help go to LMU for four years, he’ll get a good education and he’ll get a chance to play professional. That’s his dream.  He’s told me that since day one.  It starts now at the college level.  I think he’s got a chance to pitch as a freshman.  He’s got a big future ahead of him.”
“Logan’s worked so hard since he was little.  He’s had a goal for each level; middle school, high school and college.  He sets goals and worked hard in the off season,” Dawn Sawyer (Logan’s mother) said.
Sawyer didn’t forget the ones who helped get him to this point.  “Mom and Dad have been tremendous,” he said.  “If I wanted to go hit or pitch somewhere they would take me.”
He also gave a lot of credit to former major league pitcher Steve Searcy.  “He’s the reason I pitch pretty much.  He’s a great guy and he’s really helped me through a lot.”
The Seymour Herald would like to wish Logan good luck in his college career and beyond.  Logan Sawyer is an Eagle for life.

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