Trending
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the latest in a series looking back at the top 10 baseball teams, coaches, games and players from last decade
His older brothers Cameron and Nolan were two of the area’s premier catchers last decade. His father Tom was part of some fantastic Montoursville teams and his uncle Ed helped the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates win the World Series.
This is not just a baseball family, but a family of great baseball players. So it says everything that Logan Ott stands above his brothers and father now and will be playing baseball at Maryland next spring. Catching his uncle could be difficult, but it would be foolish to bet against Logan. He certainly has learned from some super mentors, put together a fabulous high school career and might just be scratching the surface of what he can do.
He certainly did a lot at Montoursville. Despite losing his senior year to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Ott left a large mark on one of the state’s most storied baseball programs. He went 17-1 in three years, helped Montoursville capture two district and league championships and was a major reason a 2020 state title seemed well within reach.
“He’s been groomed since Day 1. It’s a baseball family and he grew up with it,” Montoursville coach Jeremy Eck said in 2018. “He is different. He’s one of these guys you can go to and say, ‘OK Logan, go out there and find a way for us and get it done,’ and he does.”
Ott’s only high school loss came in the 2018 Class AAA Eastern Final when he allowed two earned runs in five innings against eventual state champion Lancaster Catholic. He was a splendid big-game pitcher, winning five playoff games in two years and taking a no-decision when he threw eight shutout innings in his final postseason performance against Central Columbia in the 2019 district championship.
The left-hander went 8-1 as a sophomore, 8-0 as a junior and his highest ERA was a minuscule 1.17. He also was a dangerous hitter, solidifying the middle of the lineup as a reliable No. 3 hitter in 2018 and becoming a dangerous lead-off hitter as a junior. Ott could play infield, outfield and probably could have caught if needed. He was a special talent who enjoyed the game, but who also was simultaneously deadly serious about it.
“He was ready to go. He was in the clubhouse dancing and he was loose and it kind of brings me back to guys that are different,” Eck said following Ott’s five-inning no-hitter against Mount Carmel in the 2018 district semifinals. “When it’s a big game they just show up and find ways to get it done and he rose to the occasion. I’m just glad he’s standing out in our dugout.”
Eck labeling a player different is quite a compliment. Eck’s first season was Ott’s breakout sophomore campaign. He had coached some tremendous players at Loyalsock which captured state championships, but did not want to pressure Ott by comparing him to someone else. He wanted Ott to be his own player, but the “different” was code for brilliant.
Signs of that coming brilliance were sprinkled throughout Ott’s freshman season. He was a reliable hitter, pitched well when called upon and closed out a district quarterfinal victory against Hughesville by striking out four in two innings. Ott also worked out of a sixth-inning, bases-loaded jam, fighting back from a 2-0 count and striking out the hitter with three straight strikes.
“That’s a tough spot for a 15-year old kid to come in and it was nice to see him close the door. He threw really well,” former Montoursville coach Travis Wurster said afterward. “He just needed to throw strikes there and he came through.”
A year later, Ott became one of the state’s best pitchers, going 8-1 with a 1.00 ERA and surrendering just 32 hits in 63 1/3 innings. He also struck out 98 and allowed more than five hits in a game just once. The left-hander complemented his two and four-seam fastballs with nasty breaking pitches, constantly worked ahead and repeatedly kept offenses off-balance. He also hit .368 with three home runs, a team-high 22 RBIs and a .463 on-base percentage.
Ott immediately made a statement when he opened the season with four shutout innings and seven strikeouts against defending district champion Loyalsock. That was one of seven shutouts Ott was a part of with him throwing three himself. And when the playoffs arrived, Ott elevated even higher.
Pitching against a dangerous offense, Ott absolutely dominated it, needing just 59 pitches to power Montoursville to the 11-0 win. He struck out 11 of the 16 batters he faced and Ott began what would be his signature run with a signature performance.
He was a stellar pitcher and Ott teaming up with pitching coach and Hall of Famer Mike Mussina was like pouring a truck of gasoline onto a fire. The power of that combination was especially evident throughout the Mount Carmel game.
“That was the best I’ve felt all season. My velocity was up and my off-speed stuff was working,” Ott said afterward. “It’s bullpens through the season and working with Mike. He helps me a lot and tells me what to do and then I get to come out and show it on the field. I just try and do whatever I can do.”
Ott kept doing a lot and struck out 11 in seven innings the district final against Loyalsock as Montoursville won, 3-2 in 10 innings, capturing its first district championship since 2010. Five days later, Ott helped Montoursville win its first state tournament game since 2006 when he threw five no-hit innings against District 2 champion Lakeland.
In addition to setting the tone with a first-inning home run, Ott struck out nine and befuddled a lineup hitting .319 which included two Division I players. In his three postseason victories, Ott allowed just seven hits and two runs in 17 innings while striking out 32.
“That was probably the best he’s been,” Montoursville right fielder Ryan Kessler said after the Lakeland game. “When they don’t hit the ball out of the infield, that’s fun to watch. And he does it every time, so it’s kind for normal now.”
The 2018 Sun-Gazette Pitcher of the Year honed those dynamic skills in the offseason playing for the U.S.A. Travel Elite team. Ott faced off against some of the top players in the country and that experienced continued paying dividends in 2019 when he finished undefeated. He went over 200 career strikeouts before his third high school season concluded, finishing 8-0 with a 1.17 ERA. Ott added two saves, struck out 98 for a second straight year and allowed just 40 hits in 60 innings.
And when the pressure was highest, Ott was at his best again. The junior threw 10 2/3 scoreless innings last postseason, seven hits and striking out 18. Both were one-run games and the margin for error was none. Once again, Ott delivered and Montoursville repeated as district champions for the first time in 19 years.
Nobody knew at that time what was coming in 2020. It appeared Ott would have one more year to throw more playoff gems and help Montoursville achieve the ultimate dream. Fate intervened, but Ott’s final pitching performance symbolized his entire high school career.
“They brought a big crowd, we brought everybody and filled up the stands. It was an exciting game and I’m glad it went our way,” Ott said. “We were battling all day and so were there. We fought and it went back and forth and we found a way.”
And Ott found a way to make an already excellent family baseball tradition even greater.