Lance Logsdon was never supposed to be a hitter. When he originally committed to the University of Missouri in high school, he was going to Columbia to be a pitcher.

Two days before he was set to sign his national letter of intent, Missouri pulled their scholarship offer and Logsdon was left to wonder what to do next. He was coming off surgery to repair the labrum in his pitching shoulder, which gave the coaching staff at Missouri cause for concern.

But almost immediately, Quincy University coach Josh Rabe texted Logsdon and told the Canton, Missouri, native he wanted the high schooler to come to Quincy, Illinois, and play for him as a hitter. Logsdon told Rabe he’d consider the offer.

The two ended up talking numerous times as Logsdon figured out his next step. Rabe ended up selling Logsdon on his vision. He saw a path to professional baseball for Logsdon as a hitter. And on that path, Logsdon would no longer have to worry about his shoulder. What Rabe got was a hitter who fulfilled his vision of what he thought Logsdon could be.

Logsdon is coming off a spring where he hit .365 with a team-high 12 home runs and 55 RBIs. Now, Logsdon is continuing that success with the Williamsport Crosscutters, leading the team in hitting in his short time with the team. Logsdon is playing in the MLB Draft League for the express purpose of proving he can hit not only the pitching at the Division II collegiate level, but even higher level pitching as well.

“I needed to show that I could hit high-level pitching and I could sustain my body over a college season and a summer season,” Logsdon said following batting practice at Bowman Field on Friday. “I’ve done that so far. I’ve been able to stay healthy and compete at a high level every day. I think I’ve shown the scouts that I can do that and I can compete every day.”

Logsdon grabbed the attention of some professional scouts during his junior season this spring at Quincy. But all the scouts he talked to said their question was whether or not he could sustain his success against elite pitching. He was used to seeing fastballs in the mid-80s at Quincy. With the Cutters, he’s been exposed to fastballs in the mid-90s along with explosive breaking stuff.

None of it has deterred the 21-year-old outfielder. Coming into Friday night’s series opener against Mahoning Valley, Logsdon was hitting a team-high .349. His .438 on-base percentage was the highest among Cutters who have played at least 10 games this season. The only part of Logsdon’s game which hasn’t translated through his 17 games with Williamsport is the power. It’s not something he’s worried about because he’s more focused on showing he’s a complete hitter. But Logsdon also understands it’s the one thing he still needs to show scouts in the final few games before the MLB Draft in a little over a week.

“The biggest thing with my hitting approach is hitting the ball the other way. That’s when I’m at my best,” Logsdon said. “If I’m getting pull happy, that’s when I pull off of it and strike out. If I’m going the other way and we’re working out front, that’s when I’m at my best. So I’m not going to mess with a whole lot now.”

Rabe, who had a cup of coffee with the Minnesota Twins over two seasons in the mid-2000s and played nine seasons of professional baseball, was able to sell Logsdon on the idea his bat could carry him to professional baseball. It took a rough freshman season where Logsdon hit just .238 in 50 games to make some adjustments. Logsdon had never been before focused on being only a hitter.

Plus, that freshman season he re-injured his right shoulder and again had to have surgery. But the injury and the struggles helped him understand what it really meant to be prepared as a hitter. His focus was also better than it ever was before. And in 2020, before COVID-19 shut down the season, Logsdon hit .458 in 16 games for Quincy.

So this spring and the subsequent summer here in Williamsport is about showing off where he’s improved as a hitter. He still doesn’t care for how much he’s striking out, and he’d also like to hit for a little more power with a wood bat. But Logsdon is satisfied with what he’s shown scouts. Whether or not his name is called in the MLB Draft later this month is out of his hands, but he feels like he’s done everything he can to prove he deserves the opportunity to play in professional baseball. And that’s exactly what Logsdon wanted to get out of his experience in the MLB Draft League.

“I’ve shown my sustainability, I think I’ve played almost every game since I got here,” Logsdon said. “I’ve hit the ball hard. I’ve done what I’m supposed to. But I just go out and have fun every day. I don’t think about (the draft) at all. You look up there and you see the scouts, but at the end of the day, it’s about going out there and competing and winning the game. Everything else will fall into place if it’s meant to be.”