When Logan Dodson, a pitcher on Guilford’s baseball team, looks back at his senior season, what he’ll remember most is the bonds he formed with his teammates.
“The laughs and cries will be talked about for years to come and it’s what everyone will remember,” he said in an April interview.
“It’s been an enjoyable season; we’ve (become) close as a team and a family,” Dodson said. “We’ve got great talent and a lot of young players looking up to our junior and senior leaders.”
Dodson began playing baseball when he was 3 years old. “I started playing at (the) Eden YMCA in Rockingham County, North Carolina. My dad signed me up at a young age and it’s something I enjoyed and wanted to continue doing,” he said.
Dodson, a two-sport athlete, has played on the Guilford football team as well the baseball team. “It’s difficult; there is no time off from school or sports,” he said. “There never is for a college athlete, but it’s always in-season for me.
“I’ve managed it well and I’ve enjoyed my time educating myself as well as playing the sport I love,” said Dodson, who graduated in May with a degree in exercise and sports sciences.
“I currently have no idols or role models in the world of baseball that I follow but I do observe other baseball players and show my respect towards all the pitchers and how confident they are as baseball players,” said Dodson.
According to Zach Booker, Guilford’s head baseball coach, Dodson “leads by example” and has helped create a positive, welcoming environment for his teammates.
Booker described Dodson as “(a) dugout and locker-room favorite” who gets along with everyone and a player who “knows how to have fun, but also when to turn it on when it’s time to compete.
“(He’s) one of our best fielding pitchers,” Booker added. “His speed and strength show during practice and games.”
And Dodson is both athletic and competitive, the coach said. “(He’s) not the most vocal, but wants to win and do well” for himself and the team
Ryan Garmendiz, who plays infield on the team, said Dodson is not only a great teammate but also has a great personality on and off the field. “We met on the first day of summer camp my freshman year and our first interaction was over text in our baseball group chat.
“We were on the way to campus and our baseball coach had texted us and wished us luck, and (he) gave me a heads up to watch out for Logan,” Garmendiz said.
As his senior year was winding down, Dodson was looking ahead to starting his career after graduation. “My plan is to get my CSCS (certified strength and conditioning specialist certification) to be an assistant coach or a personal trainer for a local fitness training company,” he said.
