PG's Gragg Signs Scholarship

Dominant RHP To Continue Career At Connors State College

Photo by Shelley Williams/Prairie Grove right-hand pitcher Logan Gragg, center, signs with Connors State during a signing ceremony in his high school cafeteria. His parents are Shawna and Scott Gragg. He’s coached by Chris Mileham.
Photo by Shelley Williams/Prairie Grove right-hand pitcher Logan Gragg, center, signs with Connors State during a signing ceremony in his high school cafeteria. His parents are Shawna and Scott Gragg. He’s coached by Chris Mileham.

PRAIRIE GROVE -- New Prairie Grove baseball coach Chris Mileham noticed something different about Logan Gragg shortly after instituting 6 a.m. workouts.

Gragg walked into the weight room wide-eyed and full of life.

The rest of his teammates strolled in like The Walking Dead.

"Logan had already been up for two hours doing farm work or whatever," Mileham said. "The rest of the guys had just rolled out of bed."

Gragg is taking his blue-collar attitude and an 89-mile-an-hour fastball to Connors State College in Warner, Okla. The Cowboys boast one of the best indoor workout facilities in junior college baseball, so Gragg will be able to show up bright-eyed to many early morning workouts year 'round.

He barely broke a sweat during his first workout at the school.

"I went down there and through bullpen for (Connors State coach Perry Keith)," Gragg said. "I threw about 10 pitches and he said that was all he needed to see."

Cowley Community College in Arkansas City, Kan., Crowder College in Neosho, Mo., Northeastern Oklahoma A&M in Miami, Okla. and Pratt (Kan.) Community College were among the other schools to offer Gragg a scholarship.

The 6-foot-4, 180-pound right-hander throws a two- and four-seam fastball while mixing in a curveball and change up. Last season, Gragg's pitching and hot bat powered Prairie Grove's postseason run. Gragg, who batted .362 with 9 doubles and 37 RBI, posted a 6-2 record with a 2.36 ERA in 9 starts. He struck out 54 batters in 50.1 innings.

Despite the strong statistics, Gragg said there is at least one area he'll need to improve upon in college.

"I need to get bigger -- I'm kind of a slim guy," Gragg said. "I'm sure my new coaches will want me to fill out a little more and if I have a little more weight on me, I can probably throw it a little faster."

Gragg has been a part of the Tigers' three straight state tournament appearances. It was Gragg's pitching and hot bat that helped power Prairie Grove's postseason run last season.

"Last year, we made it to the first round and got beat out," Gragg said. "This year, we have a very good chance of going back to state, but there are a lot of really good teams in our league."

Although Pea Ridge and Shiloh Christian should be strong, Prairie Grove will field as much talent as any team in the 4A-1 Conference. In addition to Gragg, Sam Dodd and Gavin Heltemes are expected to sign baseball scholarships with Coffeyville (Kan.) CC during a ceremony in the high school cafeteria at 11:15 a.m. on Friday. Dylan Soehner, who will sign a football scholarship with Iowa State on Wednesday, Feb. 3, recently caught a college baseball coach's attention by tossing a 90-plus mph fastball.

Pitching and hunting are two things Gragg said he "loved." During a signing ceremony in his high school cafeteria, Gragg paid homage to the latter love by sporting a T-shirt with camouflaged deer antlers across the front.

Athletes often will wear a button-down shirt or a polo, at the very least, when publicly signing with a college, but Gragg is different.

"I don't dress up a whole lot," Gragg said. "I like to be myself."

Gragg credited his parents (his mom, Shawna Gragg, is a school teacher and his dad, Scott Gragg, owns a construction business) with his no-nonsense attitude. At Connors State, Logan Gragg said he plans to major in Agriculture Economics/Agribusiness.

"Logan has that extra something that it takes to receive a scholarship offer," Mileham said. "(Scholarships) come to people who are more than good because it takes more than just being good. In my short time here, he has shown tremendous work ethic and he's a very good teammate because he's selfless.

"Those are the qualities that (college coaches) are looking for."

Sports on 01/27/2016