Q&A With Logan Ratledge

Back on June 10th, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected NC State 2nd baseman Logan Ratledge in the 13th round, with the 397th overall pick. We caught up with Ratledge last week to get his take on being drafted and his time with the Wolfpack.

On how he heard the news…

I got a call from the area scout of the Pirates, and he told me they were taking me in the 13th round. He asked me ‘if I was good to go.’ And I said ‘absolutely’

What’s happened since then…

I went to Bradenton (FL) for my physical, and spent a couple of days down there in their Spring Training complex, and got acclimated with that whole environment. Then they sent me to Bristol (VA), and we had our first game last night (June 23)

On what his first pro game was like…

It’s very similar to the type of stuff I faced in the ACC. I guess the main thing is that I’m going to have to be a lot more patient. In the ACC, most of the guys threw strikes, so I’m going to have to be more selective.

On what he’s most proud of as a Wolfpack player…

Obviously the 2013 team that went to the College Word Series. That’s the ultimate goal. That was an unbelievable year, but I think I was more proud of the team this year. We all came together at the right time. We definitely created some memories that I will not forget. That’s for sure.

On Coach Avent’s influence…

He’s a players coach. He really teaches guys to stick with things. Baseball is always going to be up and down. Everyone knows that. He always says that ‘hard work gets you everything that you want.’ I’m a big believer in that. Where he has taken our teams mentally in the past is just incredible.

On what it’s like to play for NC State fans…

At the ACC championship game, the whole stadium was red. I know it’s tough to pack out the seats every single game in baseball, because there are so many games. Anytime we needed for the fans to be there for a big game, they were there. It was unbelievable. I’ll never forget, in the ACC championship game, I was batting and the fans got the Wolfpack chant going back and forth. I remember stepping out of the box, because it gave me chills. I remember standing there thinking, ‘I’m going to miss this…I know that.”