Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1355158
26 CAVALIER CORNER The reality set in that Michaels was not going to play major Division I college base- ball immediately after high school and led him to look a few miles down the road at Madison College, a National Junior College Athletic Association baseball powerhouse with 37 conference championships and 18 regional titles to its credit. Head coach Mike Davenport did not guarantee him a spot on the team and told him he could come as a walk-on in the fall because the program already had a catcher on the roster that was committed to a Divi- sion I program. Michaels took that opportunity and ran with it. Not only did he make the team, but he became a first-team all-conference se- lection the next spring, batting .437 (62 for 142) with 13 doubles and three home runs. His breakout first season at Madison drew the attention of the Virginia coaching staff and he was invited for a visit. "Right when I saw the field and Grounds, I knew that this was the place I wanted to go," Michaels said. "This was the place I wanted to make home for the rest of my college career." Two days after Michaels committed to UVA, his father was diagnosed with pancre- atic cancer. Doctors had told the Michaels family that two out of a 100 people with pancreatic cancer live two years after being diagnosed. "It was a roller-coaster of emotions at that time," Michaels said. "That first semester here [at Virginia] was tough being away from home, away from my dad and not be- ing there for my family. "At the same time, I knew it was the best thing for me, knowing that my dad was happy that I was at a school I loved and worked for my whole life. It just made him happy. That helped me get through everything." Jeff has proved the doctors wrong and the Michaels family over the holidays recently celebrated two years of him being cancer- free. Logan's parents weren't able to attend many games in 2019 because Jeff wasn't able to fly, but they were able to be in per- son at last season's opening series against Oklahoma in Pensacola, Fla. "When the whole recruiting thing hap- pened, I didn't really think about playing close to home where my parents can come watch me," Michaels said. "My parents al- ways told me that you have to do whatever is best for you and they'll be proud of me no matter what. "I figured I'd have to go a little ways away from home to play at the top level of baseball and when this opportunity came around, they both knew that this was right for me and I couldn't beat it." Fortunately for the Michaels family most, if not all, of Logan's baseball games have been streamed live through Virginia's ACC Network efforts. The Michaels family does, however, plan to make the trip out to Disharoon Park a few times this spring to see him play in person. Meanwhile, Michaels is still proving his doubters wrong and making his family proud. In March, he was recognized as one of 69 players on the initial watch list for the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award, an honor that is annually bestowed on the top Division I collegiate catcher. Through 19 games this season, Michaels ranked first among regular starters on the team with a .288 batting average, third with 12 runs scored and was tied for fourth with eight RBI. "I think it just goes to show how hard I've worked to be recognized for something like that," he said of making the prestigious watch list. "It is a huge honor. It just makes me look at things a little differently and be proud of how much time and effort I've put into this game." "I think it just goes to show how hard I've worked to be recognized for something like that. It is a huge honor. It just makes me look at things a little differently and be proud of how much time and effort I've put into this game." MICHAELS ON BEING NAMED TO THE WATCH LIST FOR THE BUSTER POSEY NATIONAL COLLEGIATE CATCHER OF THE YEAR AWARD This season, Michaels was one of 69 players nationally to be named to the watch list for the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award. PHOTO BY JIM DAVES/COURTESY UVA ATHLETICS