Logan Mercado

University of Oregon - RHP ('21-present)

At what age did you decide you wanted to play baseball beyond high school?

I really thought about playing beyond high school right around middle school. That's when I started to really fall in love with the game and the process that goes along with it. 

At what point did you commit to the college you would play baseball at? What made you feel like that was the right time to do so? How did you decide that school was the best fit for you? Did you feel pressure(s) along the way? 

I committed to the University of Oregon in the fall of my sophomore year. I knew I wanted to stay somewhere close to where I was from but not too close. The state of Oregon had great baseball and it was close enough to home so which made the decision easier. I really knew Oregon was the school for me because when I went for a visit, it wasn't a long-winded speech about starting right away or the amount of playtime and wins that I'll get, the main point was the development part. I felt like I could go there and reach my potential as a college player and I knew that the staff I'd be coached by not only would make me into a great player but a great person as well. I also felt like when I did commit it took all the pressure off to find a school so that way I could just focus on my development.

What has been your favorite part of your baseball career so far?

My favorite part about my baseball career is the sheer amount of people I've gotten the opportunity to meet over the years. I've met some great baseball players and some great people in other areas as well that I wouldn't have met if I wasn't involved in this game.

What did you learn about the recruiting process by going through it? What did you wish you had known sooner?

One really important thing I learned throughout the recruiting process is coaches care way more about how you respond to failure than how you go about succeeding. This is a game of failure and no matter the level, talent doesn't always win. Treating failure the same way you treat success is something I wish I knew how to do sooner because I always had a good time playing the game but it didn't always look like it. If you can look the same going 4 for 4 with 2 bombs while also going 0 for 4 with 4 strikeouts, then you know you can succeed at the next level.

What would be something you'd want a player who follows in your footsteps to know or consider?

For all the players trying to get to the next level, one thing to always do is play, train, rest, and work like someone's watching. One thing that helped me out a lot especially being from a small school and town was I did everything like someone was watching me even if there were no people within miles of the field I was on, which most of the time that was the case. That really helped me prepare myself to be playing in front of those scouts and people that would come watch. In other words, I was always prepared for those scenarios because I trained like it. That would be something I would advise the next generation of ballplayers to do.