HOLDING IT DOWN: Tigers first baseman loved playing defense

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For The Tribune

Logan Collins said he has spent a lot of time on baseball diamonds in Crothersville, and around southern and central Indiana, for the past 15 years.

“Ever since I was 3,” Collins said. “I played T-ball, then pony league, and now I’m (finishing) my high school career.”

Collins was a 4-year starter for the Tigers.

“I was at second and shortstop my freshman and sophomore years, and my junior and senior years I was on first base,” Collins said. “I love defense. I liked playing middle infield because there was a lot of moving around. On first base there is not as much, but I get a lot of putouts.”

Collins said on fly balls into shallow right field, “It’s all about communication. If there was a pop fly behind me and there was somebody on first, then the right fielder would come in and I would hover around first, but if not I would usually try to go back and try to catch it.”

He said he enjoyed batting in the fourth or fifth positions for the Tigers this spring, and tried to hit the ball in the outfield gaps for doubles.

“I batted in the cleanup position a lot,” Collins said. “If there was not anybody on base I looked to get a hit. If there was somebody on two (second) I tried to trade spots with him. I hit the gaps most of the times I got hits. I tried to hit it over the third baseman’s head or straight over second base.”

Collins said he enjoyed his teammates and tried to be a senior leader.

“I loved the team, I loved the coach,” he said. “I was with the coach (Jared Richey) all four years he’s been coaching. He started my freshman year so we’ve been together four years.

“We were pretty strong on the senior side here. We had good leadership. We’ve got a strong team with the seniors. Most of our infield is seniors, our catcher is a senior, and we had one senior outfielder.”

Collins said he enjoyed attending CHS.

“I liked the part where everybody knows everybody around here,” he said. “I like how you can go to this person and about something and go to another person about something else. You know everybody so you’re not afraid to go up to them and talk to them. Nobody is strangers around here.

“The teachers are great. I love all my teachers. I’ll definitely remember my teammates and the coaches. I’m going to remember how we started with a first-year coach my freshman year, and this year we did the best we’ve done for a while.”

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Name: Logan Collins

School: Crothersville High School

Parents: Crystal Brown, D.J. Collins

Siblings: Josh, Corey

Sports: baseball 4 years

Athletic highlights: most improved infielder award

Organizations: FFA

Plans after high school: Southeast Lineman Training Center

Favorite food: steak

Favorite team: Chicago Cubs

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