Canadian Baseball Network

View Original

Ex-Dawgs Logan, Melton selected in MLB draft

Okotoks Dawgs alum Gavin Logan (Oyen, Alta.) was selected in the ninth round of the MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Photo: Okotoks Dawgs

July 20, 2022

Official Okotoks Dawgs News Release

Okotoks, Alta. – The Okotoks Dawgs are pleased to announce the selection of two former Dawgs players in the 2022 MLB draft.

Jacob Melton and Gavin Logan (Oyen, Alta.), both of whom starred on the 2019 WCBL championship-winning Dawgs were selected by the Houston Astros and the Arizona Diamondbacks respectively.

Melton was selected in the second round by the Houston Astros after an outstanding season at Oregon State University where he posted a .360 batting average with 17 home runs and 83 RBIs. He also set an Oregon State single-season record with 175 total bases. With that historic performance, Melton earned Pac-12 Player of the Year honours, was a National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association first team All-American and an American Baseball Coaches Association All-American. He was also a finalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and the Golden Spikes Award recognizing the most outstanding college baseball player in the country.

Melton joined Oregon State after an outstanding season at Linn-Benton Community College where he was first team All-Northwest Athletic Conference. Linn-Benton has strong Dawgs connections since head coach, Andy Peterson, himself a former NCAA Division 1 World Series champion with Oregon State, is a longtime coach of the Dawgs summer collegiate club. Melton was a big part of the Dawgs’ 2019 WCBL Championship batting .310 with three home runs during the regular season and .455 with a home run during the playoffs.

Another former Dawgs player, Gavin Logan (Oyen, Alta.) was selected in the ninth round of the MLB draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Like Melton, Logan also had a standout season with Oregon State during the 2022 college season. As starting catcher for the top ranked Beavers, Logan earned First Team All Pac 12 honours, batting .281 with 12 doubles, three home runs, 36 RBIs and a .801 OPS. He was also a defensive standout with a .998 fielding percentage including six caught stealing.

Prior to accepting his scholarship to Oregon State, Logan enjoyed a stellar season at Linn Benton Community College where he starred for head coach, Andy Peterson, an Oregon State alumni and former coach. Logan was also a key player with the summer collegiate Dawgs in 2019 batting .368 and providing unblemished defence behind the plate, leading the club to a WCBL Championship.

Logan has a long history with the Dawgs, joining the Dawgs Youth Academy as a 16-year-old. He quickly honed his catching skills and assumed the No.1 catching position.

Melton and Logan join a long list of players with Dawgs roots being selected in the MLB draft, including big leaguers like Jim Henderson (Milwaukee Brewers, New York Mets), Andrew Kittredge (Tampa Bay Rays) and Alejo Lopez (Cincinnati Reds).