Author: Koby Deitz
For Occidental shortstop and captain Logan Allen (senior), personal stats and records take a backseat to the team. According to Allen, the most exciting part of his four-year Tiger baseball career has been turning a squad undergoing a long rebuilding period into a winning program that sits just four wins away from eclipsing last year’s record-setting mark of 23 victories.
“The team comes first,” Allen said. “Individual records may come and go, but in the long run, what you’re going to remember is…your teammates.”
Allen refuses to acknowledge his back-to-back Second Team All-SCIAC selections or his Third Team All-West Region award. He also did not know that he is on pace to break Occidental’s career hits record. With 183 hits to his name so far, the 5 foot 11 righty needs just two more hits to surpass the all-time mark of 184 and swing his way into the record books.
“[Closing in on the hits record] is new knowledge to me,” Allen said.
Allen lets his play do the talking when he sets foot on the diamond. The senior has started since he was a first-year and has not finished a season with a batting average below .300.
But his tools don’t stop in the batter’s box. He is also a rangy defender who has been known to make game-saving plays in the field. According to Occidental head baseball coach Luke Wetmore, one of the biggest reasons for Allen’s success has been his unwavering work ethic.
“No one works harder than [Allen] when no one else is watching,” he said. “We all want to win on game day. Logan wants to win on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and you can see that in his work ethic and in his drive.”
Wetmore said that even though Allen has always been an exemplary ball player, he has worked hard this year in particular to become a more vocal leader for his teammates.
“Over his first three years, he was very quiet and just went about his business,” Wetmore said. “This year, I’ve seen him step out of that a little bit more and work to encourage his teammates and hold them accountable for being in the right places and doing the right things.”
Although he is most known for his success on the field, he also has experience outside the lines as a Games Management worker for the Athletics Department. Since he was a first-year student, Allen has helped out with each and every sport in a variety of ways. He generally keeps stats for various sports but has stepped up in other ways as well.
“I’ve actually announced a couple games,” Allen said. “I’m not a big public speaker at all, so the first one was pretty rough.”
Sports Information Director and Assistant Director of Athletics Mike Wells has developed a deep-rooted relationship with Allen through his work within the Athletics Department. Wells noted his appreciation of Allen’s character due to his firsthand experience with Allen as both an athlete and Games Management worker.
“When people write up a description of what a good human being is, there’s a picture of Logan Allen next to it,” Wells said. “It sounds ridiculous to say it like this, but he’s just a solid person.”
Allen has struck a chord with those who have worked with him and above him, and faculty and coaches alike rave about him.
“He’s been the model of what we want an Occidental student athlete to be, both on and off the field,” Wells said. “Really, he’s the model of what an Occidental student is, not just what a student-athlete is.”
Through 26 games this season, Allen is batting .272 in 103 at-bats and is leading the team in doubles with nine. In the field, Allen has posted a fielding percentage of .907 at arguably one of the toughest positions on the diamond.
Allen and his fellow Occidental teammates continue their season with a conference showdown against La Verne this weekend as they gear up for a SCIAC tournament appearance beginning in May.
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