PRAIRIE GROVE -- There are times high school baseball fans may be witnessing history in the making and don't even know it.
During his senior season at Prairie Grove, 2019 St. Louis Cardinals 8th round draft pick Logan Gragg got into a pitching duel against freshman sensation Landon Brown, of Shiloh Christian, who committed to the Arkansas Razorbacks as a preferred walk-on in April.
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL STATISTICS SENIOR SEASON
Batting
Year^Athlete Name^ GP^Avg.^PA^AB^R^H^RBI^2B^3B^HR^GS
2016^Logan Gragg^28^.381^95^84^17^32^20^8^3^1^15
Year^Athlete Name^GP^SF^SH/B^BB^K^HBP^ROE^FC^LOB^OBP^SLG^OPS
2016^Logan Gragg^28^0^0^5^15^6^6^1^42^.453^.583^1.036
Base running
Year^Athlete^Name^GP^SB^SBA
206^Logan Gragg^28^8^9
Fielding
Year^Athlete Name^GP^FP^TC^PO^A^E^DP^TP
206^Logan Gragg^28^.942^121^100^14^7^1^0
Pitching
Year^Athlete Name^ERA^W-L^Wpct.^APP^GS^CG^SO^SV^NH^PG
2016^Logan Gragg^1.02^4^4^.500^0^8^0^0^2^0^0
Year^Athlete Name^IP^H^R^ER^BB^K^2B^3B^HR^BF^AB
2016^Logan Gragg^48^36^14^7^9^80^2^0^1^202^185
Year^Athlete Name^OBA^OBP^WP^HBP^SF^SH/B^#P^BK^PO^SB
2016^Logan Gragg^.195^.257^2^7^1^0^756^1^0^13
The classic pitcher's duel won by Prairie Grove then coached by Chris Mileham to the tune of a 2-1 score on April 4, 2016, featured the best of high school baseball and a showcase of things to come.
Brown matured to 6-0, 200 pounds as a senior, winning a high school state championship with the Saints in 2016 as well as becoming part of back-to-back State 4A Runner-up teams in 2018 and 2019.
According to Whole Hog Sports, Brown was recruited by Wichita State, Arkansas-Little Rock and Central Arkansas, Division II schools and junior colleges with a fastball clocked between 89-92 m.p.h. His goal is to work out in the weight room and improve his core strength to get the fastball to around 92-94.
On that day back in 2016 Brown was good, allowing 5 hits over 6 1/3 innings with 11 strikeouts and 3 walks.
But Gragg, who checked in at 6-5, 180 pounds as a senior, was even better.
The right-hander threw 93 pitches, zoning in 68 of those into the strike zone and issuing no walks as he went the distance to record a complete-game win. Gragg allowed just 5 hits while fanning 11 Shiloh Christian batters, leading the Tigers to an important 4A-1 Conference road win.
Mileham recalls that game had been earmarked on the calendar by the senior class, which included Gragg, Sam Dodd, Nick Ellis, Gavin Heltemes, Nick Quinton, Dylan Soehner and Dalton Strong.
"Being my first year, I remember that group of seniors talked about how Prairie Grove hadn't beaten Shiloh in awhile and they wanted to win that game," Mileham said. "Logan was locked in from the first pitch to the end. You could tell maybe he had a little bit more motivation on that day with the rivalry between Prairie Grove and Shiloh in baseball. It was fun to watch. It was fun to be a part of."
Teammates on the 2016 Prairie Grove baseball squad, Clay Fidler, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Quinton, who was 1-for-3 with an RBI, provided all the run support Gragg needed.
Kyle LaRoche was 1 for 2 with a double for the Saints.
"It could have gone in favor of either pitcher. They both brought their A game that day," Mileham said.
As a senior at Prairie Grove Gragg played in 28 games, leading the team in multiple categories, including: .381 batting average, 84 at-bats tied with Reed Orr, 32 hits tied with Gavin Heltemes, 20 RBIs, 8 doubles, 3 triples tied with Gavin Heltemes, 1 home run, and .583 slugging percentage.
He was the Tigers' No. 1 gun on the mound compiling a 4-4 record, which didn't reveal his true ability. Gragg achieved a top-notch ERA of 1.02 in 48 innings of work allowing a stingy .257 on-base percentage for opposing batters while facing a team-high 202 batters and 185 at-bats. Opponents simply couldn't hit Gragg. He allowed 2 doubles, no triples and only one home run, and one sacrifice fly in 756 pitches.
Opponents batted .195 against Gragg, who was only charged with 9 walks, 1 balk, 2 wild pitches, and 7 batters hit by a pitch while striking out 80.
These became critical components for a team with a first-year head coach playing underclassmen in key positions.
"We were very young defensively when Logan Gragg was a senior," Mileham said. "We started a freshman behind the plate in Couper Allen and a freshman at shortstop in Drew Cates because Sam Dodd broke his hand. Logan had to watch those kids grow up as I did and go through some growing pains. He had to watch a freshman try to catch a 90 m.p.h. fast ball behind the plate, but Logan didn't miss a beat. I think that's why those kids had so much success after he left. Logan left such an imprint on those kids."
Mileham was suitably impressed and instigated the Logan Gragg award given in recognition, not only for baseball skill, but for demonstrating a team-first example.
"Logan showed a tremendous amount of leadership," Mileham said. "It goes back to his parents, Shawna and Scott Gragg, they raised a wonderful, fine young man."
Gragg played two seasons for Connors State then transferred to Oklahoma State. He helped the Cowboys win a Regional and advance into last weekend's Super Regional. In between the Cardinals selected him as the 245th overall pick of the Major League 2019 draft.
Sports on 06/12/2019