PRAIRIE GROVE -- Logan Gragg becomes the third former Prairie Grove pitcher coached by Mitch Cameron and drafted by Major League Baseball since 2014 joining Jalen Beeks and Ty Tice.
Last week Gragg was drafted in the 8th round as the 245th overall pick by the St. Louis Cardinals after adjusting to coming out of the bullpen at Oklahoma State. Gragg had been a starter throughout his career until the Cowboys asked him to shift roles.
"The hardest thing is just knowing yourself in the bullpen and getting used to that. You don't want to burn yourself out before you go in," Gragg said during an April 24 press conference. "It's really just having to pace yourself and pace whoever's on the mound before you."
Beeks graduated from Prairie Grove in 2011, and like Gragg, attended a junior college (Crowder at Neosho, Mo.) before breaking into NCAA Division I baseball with the Arkansas Razorbacks. Beeks was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 12th round of the 2014 MLB draft. He made his Major League debut last year and was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays where he has a 5-0 record with a 2.76 ERA, 45 strike-outs and 16 walks in 49 innings pitched through 15 appearances as of Saturday.
Tice graduated from Prairie Grove in 2014 and attended the University of Central Arkansas on a baseball scholarship. He was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 16th round in 2017 and remains with the organization in the minor leagues. He is currently in Double A with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats of the Eastern League. As of Monday, Tice was holding batters to a .141 average through 20 games in 24.2 innings of work with a 1-3 record. He has allowed 9 runs on 13 hits with a 1.09 ERA issuing 8 walks and striking out 23. His career ERA in the minors is 1.73.
Cameron coached all three before leaving Prairie Grove after Gragg's junior season. He returned to Prairie Grove baseball as head coach following the 2019 season.
"Those three guys all got drafted. I don't know if it's coincidence or what it is, but hat's off to those three kids. All three guys worked hard," Cameron said. "I hope I contributed to their love for the game and helped keep them with it. A lot of guys have that ability and they don't want to play anymore, they just quit."
Chris Mileham coached the Tigers during 2016-2018 seasons and had Gragg as his No. 1 as a senior. He, too, marveled at the trend.
"It's been a unique deal, not many small schools can say that. Prairie Grove really had the genetic lottery for awhile," Mileham said recalling when he was at Fayetteville the Bulldogs had six kids sign to play NCAA Division I baseball.
"It may not happen again for awhile or it may not happen again forever. Everybody just needs to enjoy it while you can. You don't get to recruit in high school so it's just luck, you're dealt the hand," Mileham said. "It built the foundation for the program. It gives kids hope. They see ones who've gone before them playing at the professional level. I think that a lot of times it will spark successes maybe on a different level. There's nothing like having hope."
Gragg throws a fastball consistently in the low 90s, which may get as high as 96 m.p.h. According to thecardinalnation.com draft evaluation, there is some projectability left in Gragg's 6-foot-5, 199-pound frame that could give the right-hander an ability to add some velocity to his fastball.
"I feel fortunate to have had them on my team. I'm excited for all three of them and their families. They are great people. It's very humbling to know that I had those three guys," Cameron said. "It's the mold you want. They were always the leader on the team, they always did things right. That's the awesome thing about them."
According to Mileham, who once coached for the Wichita Wingnuts in the minor leagues, those attributes set players apart.
"What separates someone who gets drafted in the top 10 rounds from a 25th rounder is maturity and leadership ability, the makeup of the individual," Mileham said. "It's really something for Logan Gragg to get drafted in the eighth round."
Just thinking about what's transpired in the lives of these former Tigers has Cameron dancing on the ceiling.
"A work ethic, ability to to things right, passion for the game, and a desire to compete, these three guys have it," Cameron said.
Such intangibles combined with their physical tools opened the door for a dream come true.
Sports on 06/12/2019