Book Private Baseball Lessons with Coach Logan

I’ve been around baseball for as long as I can remember. Growing up in a big family with two great parents and three siblings, weekends were never spent at home, they were spent at the ballpark. Whether it was a local tournament or a cross-country trip all the way to New York, baseball was always the focus. It wasn’t just a game for us it was a way of life.

Some of my best memories were made on those fields, whether it was playing alongside lifelong friends I still keep in touch with today or the long road trips packed into the car with my family. We did it all and I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything.

I’m a former college baseball player, born and raised in California. After high school, I moved to Arizona to continue my baseball career at Central Arizona College, where I spent four years competing at the collegiate level while earning my degree in Health and Human Performance.

After finishing school, I was ready for a break from the Arizona heat so I packed up and headed to Vancouver, Washington, where I landed a baseball job that I absolutely loved.

I joined Northwest Futures Baseball Academy, the largest baseball academy in the Pacific Northwest. There, I had the opportunity to work with other ex-college athletes and ex-professional players. Our program fielded multiple teams ranging from 10U to 18U, and I was proud to manage several teams from multiple age groups, helping lead them to strong, successful seasons.

Beyond team coaching, I specialized in private one-on-one hitting and fielding development lessons, working with both youth and college-level athletes. The one-on-one and small group lessons quickly become something I loved, I got so much great feedback from family’s and athletes. I was making a positive change to these players and because of that I knew I wanted to continue doing these types of training sessions.

After two great years with Northwest Futures, I felt it was time to return to my roots, so back to California I came. I’m excited to be home and share my knowledge, experience, and passion for the game with the Santa Barbara baseball community that I love.

Let’s get to work and help you become the elite player you’re striving to be!

You wouldn’t learn how to drive from someone who’s never actually driven a car, right? Sure, maybe this person has read every book on how to be a great driver, watched every video, and memorized all the rules of the road. But no one in their right mind would hop in a car and take a road trip with someone who’s never been behind the wheel.

I believe the same idea applies to baseball.

Baseball is one of the hardest, most complex sports out there, and from the outside, it’s often misunderstood. Believe it or not, a lot of coaches have very little real experience playing the game themselves. So the question becomes: if they’ve never been through it, how can they truly guide young players on how to train and develop?

Now, I’m not saying that these coaches don’t have any valuable knowledge, just like that person who’s studied all the driving books might know the rules and the theory, they can still offer some helpful advice. But there’s a huge difference between knowing the game and having actually lived it.

When a coach has been through the grind, the failures, the lessons, and the success that come with playing at a high level they understand what their players are going through on and off the field. That experience allows them to coach from a place of real understanding, to relate to their players, and to guide them not just with knowledge, but with personal experience that can’t be taught in a book.

Trust a coach who has walked the path and uses that experience to help players reach their full potential. These are the coaches that will help improve your game the most.

I never believe in jumping right in and preaching to players about what they should or shouldn’t do because no two players are the same. Every athlete is unique, and their training should reflect that.

Our first session is all about evaluation. I take the time to assess every aspect of the player’s game: athleticism, fielding ability, hitting ability, throwing ability, and physical strength — all based on their age and experience level. From there, players usually fall into one of three categories: below, at, or above the typical level for their age group.

This grading process isn’t rushed and isn’t determined from just one session — it takes careful observation and honest feedback. Once we’ve completed this first evaluation, we’ll work together to set clear priorities for future training. If a player wants to focus only on fielding, then we’ll build sessions around sharpening that skill. If they want to develop multiple areas, we’ll create a plan that covers it all. Players and parents always have a say in the direction of the training, if a player wants to work on fielding during our session I will never overstep that and make them do hitting - it’s about building a path that fits the athlete’s goals.

One of the biggest things I believe in is trust, respect, and communication. I’ll always do my best to over-communicate with both players and parents. Feedback — both giving and receiving is one of the most important tools for improvement, and I make sure we stay on the same page after every session.

I encourage my athletes to journal after our lessons, writing down what went well, what didn’t, and what needs more attention. These notes become a great tool for both of us to track progress and guide future sessions.

My ultimate goal is to work with athletes long-term, helping them grow through every stage of their baseball journey including the recruiting process. I remember how lost I felt when it came time to navigate recruiting, and I always wished I’d had someone to guide me through it. My mission is not only to develop great players but also to use my knowledge and connections to help athletes reach the next level and, when the time comes, commit to play college baseball.

I’ve been lucky enough to play for a lot of great coaches throughout my baseball career, but these three stand out the most.

At the top of my list is my former college coach, Anthony Gilich. I played for Coach Gilich at Central Arizona from 2018 to 2022. He’s now the coach at the University of Washington, he is the the smartest baseball mind I’ve ever been around. His knowledge of the game and the way he managed our team taught me countless small details — the kind of things young players often overlook. His passion, preparation, and baseball IQ left a huge impact on me, and I still carry those lessons with me, especially now as I step into coaching myself. After my playing days, Coach Gilich and I built a great friendship, and we still stay in touch, constantly exchanging ideas and continuing to teach each other about the game.

The second coach on my list is Joe Perez. Coach Perez was our infield coach at Central Arizona during my time there, and he’s now coaching at Washington State. He was actually the coach who recruited me out of high school, and we built a strong relationship from day one that still lasts to this day. Coach Perez helped me take my infield game from good to elite. What I respected most was how much effort he put into understanding each player individually. He didn’t believe in a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Coach Perez tailored his coaching to fit each of us and help us reach our full potential. That lesson stuck with me, and it’s something I apply in my own coaching style now.

Last but not least on my list is Dick Davis. Coach Davis was a former Major League player who played with the Brewers, Phillies, Blue Jays, and pirates before finishing his career in Japan’s NPB league with the Kintetsu Buffaloes. His knowledge of the game came from real experience at the highest level, and learning from someone who played both in the MLB and internationally gave me a whole new perspective on the game. Coach Davis helped me sharpen not only my mechanics but also the mental side of hitting. He had a way of breaking down complex parts of the game and making them simple, which is a skill I truly appreciated as a young player. Beyond that, he was one of the first coaches who taught me about handling failure, adjusting in-game, and staying consistent — lessons I’ve carried with me ever since.

I’m in this business to help the community and share the baseball knowledge I’ve been fortunate enough to learn from so many great coaches over the years. Baseball has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, from the time I could walk and talk, it’s been the game I’ve loved. It’s truly the best sport in the world, and I know I’ll be involved with baseball in one way or another for the rest of my life.

In my opinion, the best coaches — the ones who make the biggest impact — are the ones who genuinely love the game and believe in its value beyond just wins and losses. I’ve played for a handful of incredible coaches who shaped me not just as a player but as a person. But the truth is, like many players, I also played for more bad coaches than good ones.

It’s hard to find a coach who’s truly passionate, knowledgeable, and committed to their players. I remember what it felt like as a kid, playing for coaches who always seemed angry, no matter how well we played, it was never good enough. Even when we were winning, we were treated like we were still falling short. And the excuse was always the same: “We’re hard on you because we care.”

There’s a difference between tough love and a coach who’s just trying to relive their own playing days through their athletes. I could always tell the difference and I can promise you, most of those coaches didn’t truly care. That kind of coaching hurts a young athlete’s mental game. It makes players afraid to make mistakes and nervous to even step on the field.

Luckily, once I reached the college level, I experienced what a real, supportive coaching environment looks like. Our team felt like a true unit, with coaches who had our best interest in mind both on and off the field. That was when I learned the most important lesson of all: Effort can’t be coached. A coach can teach you the mechanics and the strategy, but only you can put in the work. The players who gave more effort always saw more results.

Having a coach who stands in your corner, who believes in you, supports you, and holds you to a high standard makes all the difference. That’s the kind of coach I strive to be.

Now, am I saying that if a coach gets upset, they’re a bad coach? Absolutely not. Good coaches get frustrated because they do care and because they see the potential for greatness in their players. But the best coaches know how to handle every situation in a way that shows they’re with you through the ups and the downs.

At the end of the day, baseball is a game. It’s meant to be fun. When athletes are enjoying the game, their stress is low and their confidence is high and that’s when real growth happens. I want my players to play loose, have fun, and love the game while still being held to the highest standards possible. Because if I don’t hold them to that standard, I’m not doing my job as a coach. And that’s a responsibility I take seriously.