Freshman pitcher Logan Buczkowski continues CMU family legacy
Freshman right hand pitcher Logan Buczkowski poses for a portrait on Feb. 10 at Hunter's Ale House.
Freshman right-handed pitcher Logan Buczkowski follows a long family history of athletes at Central Michigan University.
Back in 1974, the Central Michigan football team won the Division II national championship game. Buczkowski’s grandfather, Don Peddie, was an assistant coach.
While Peddie taught physical education and assisted on the football team at CMU, Buczkowski’s grandmother, Barbara Peddie, taught dance at CMU.
Buczkowski’s uncle and aunt, Jake and Heather Peddie, were also CMU athletes.
“My uncle played baseball here and I just want to follow in his footsteps,” Logan said. “He’s a pitcher too, so it fits really well. He taught me to throw my curveball when I was young and always hooked me up with going to camps at CMU.”
Along with Buczkowski’s grandfather, grandmother, aunt and uncle all holding ties to the Chippewas, his older brother, Hunter Buczkowski, is a redshirt freshman fullback on the football team.
Out of Mount Pleasant High School, Logan was ranked as the No. 24 prospect in Michigan by Prep Baseball Report. He earned nine varsity letters playing baseball, football and basketball.
“I’m just using my talents to the best of my abilities,” Logan said. “I hope to fit in and use every opportunity to do to my best. I want to win games.”
Being close to home was a huge factor for Logan, who picked CMU over Cincinnati, a school he was looking at from the very beginning.
“A lot of my community can come to the games and I can represent my high school well,” Logan said. “I was thinking about Cincinnati at first, but a lot of my family went to Central Michigan and I always wanted to go here.”
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound righty is considered to be a relief option for the Chippewas in the 2018 season, as his fastball touches 90-93 miles per hour and his curveball sets it up, he said.
“I have no clue where I am going to play right now,” Logan said. “People say I throw pretty hard, so I do that. My curveball is a little different, so I’ll bring that to the table. I’m ready to help the team.”
Having CMU in his backyard was beneficial to the recruitment of Logan, as head coach Steve Jaksa was able to learn a lot about the top pitching prospect.
Jaksa hopes the young right-hander will be able to master the control of his fastball and curveball in order to start working on his changeup.
“He’s got a good arm and we feel good about what he can contribute when he gets his opportunity,” Jaksa said. “Right now, he’s learning the intricate parts of pitching. If he can get command of at least two pitches, then he can work on the change-up.”
Since coming to Mount Pleasant, Logan has bonded with sophomore infielder Zach Heeke, who went to high school with him, and junior left-handed pitcher Tyler Brown. Brown is a Junior College transfer from Galveston College in Spring, Texas.
“Being a young team is a positive,” Logan said. “You get more team chemistry, can bond with the other players for longer and can come together better.
“Tyler Brown and I hang out a lot. Heeke went to high school with me, so he’s able to teach me a lot of what he knows. He helps me a ton with my pitching.”
While this is only his first season with the Chippewas, Logan has set the bar high. He wants to win the Mid-American Conference title.
“We are striving for a MAC championship,” Logan said. “We are really trying to put Central Michigan at the top of the MAC.”
