Guilford senior Logan Collier, a native of Rural Hall, NC, was drafted as a pitcher by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 37th round of the 2006 first-year-players draft. He is currently training in Florida. Logan began playing baseball at age five.Q: Did you have any role models growing up?

Collier: The person that I have always held up and acknowledged as my role model is my dad. He taught me many life lessons and how important it is to be trustworthy, honest, caring and sincere.

Q: Who else inspired you to play baseball?

Collier: My great-grandparents always told me I was going to be a professional baseball player at the age of 20, but they both passed away before I made it at the age of 21.

Q: Describe the significance of your experience at Guilford in sports or otherwise.

Collier: As I look back at my time at Guilford College, I am extremely proud to say that I went to school there and will soon have a diploma that reads Guilford College. The education, I feel, is one of the best, and the experience with students from all over the world taught me so much about getting along with others from very different walks of life and beliefs, which in turn helps me with the life I am living now as a pro baseball player.

Q: How do you feel about making it into the major leagues?

Collier: I was overwhelmed with the idea of playing in the major leagues. It is a nerve-racking experience, because now it is a profession, so I have to perform at the level they expect to stay in the organization.

Q: What experiences prepared you to reach a professional level?

Collier: Playing high school baseball and going to a baseball showcase got me to Guilford and gave me a chance to play at the college level. College baseball was the experience that got me seen by pro scouts, which led to a workout in front of a Cardinals’ scout at Guilford during the 2006 summer with Coach Black, Coach Gross, and my catcher, Phil Drew, who still attends Guilford College. After that workout, I was invited to a pre-draft workout in Florida with the Cardinals, which proved to be the critical link that got me drafted.

Q: What have been the best and worst parts of playing professional baseball?

Collier: The best part about playing professional baseball is that it means I am one step closer to playing in the major leagues. The worst part about playing pro baseball is that it is now a business, and I am an employee, which means I can be released at any time.

Q: Describe your relationship with your teammates and coach.

Collier: At this level of ball, I am meeting people from all over the world that I am able to build new friendships with. The coaches are great; just about every coach at every level has played in the major leagues at one point in time. My pitching coach last season pitched 15 years in the big leagues, and he is a funny man with a lot of stories to tell about his experiences.

Q: What have you had to sacrifice to dedicate so much of your time to baseball?

Collier: I have had to sacrifice spending time with my family and friends at Guilford and from home in order to play ball. I have had to sacrifice my summers, which are now dedicated to baseball. However, my true friends are still in contact with me. I think that the sacrifices are well worth making.

Q: What has been the most rewarding thing about this experience?

Collier: The most rewarding part of this experience would be making it to the big leagues. However, thus far, the most rewarding part is meeting and building relationships with others, meeting some of my favorite professional Cardinal baseball players, playing my favorite childhood game for a living, and having the ability to set a good example for the fans (especially children) that look up to you.

Q: What other things do you enjoy doing in your free time besides baseball?

Collier: When I am not playing baseball, I really enjoy hunting. I have hunted since I was just a little boy, and it has become more or less a favorite pastime and a tradition I plan to continue. I also enjoy spending time with family and friends, fishing, shooting (gun and bow), paintball, carpentry, welding, art, canoeing and golf.

Q: What are your plans for the future?

Collier: My most recent plans are to make it to the big leagues. If that does not work out, I plan on going into law enforcement. I would really like to be a game warden or work in the FBI. I want to own several hundred acres of land, build a house, get married and raise a family; but that is many years from now.