BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Western Kentucky University junior shortstop Logan Robbins became the sixth Hilltopper player to sign a minor-league contract this year after coming to an agreement with the Atlanta Braves.
Robbins was selected by the Braves in the 10th round of the draft with the 326th overall pick and will find out Thursday night where in the organization he will begin his career.
"I have to thank God," Robbins said. "He put me in this situation and blessed me with these opportunities and without him all this wouldn't be possible. It is very exciting. It's something that I have looked forward to since I was seven, eight years old and for this day to finally be here, it's a dream come true. It's what I've wanted since I was a little kid and why I've played all these years."
The Owensboro, Ky., native spent most of the last two seasons as the everyday shortstop for WKU. In 2011, Robbins hit a career high .286 and drove in 33 runs with 12 doubles and four home runs. He led the team in stolen bases the last two seasons, swiping 38 bases in 44 attempts. He tied a Sun Belt Conference tournament record with four stolen bases in a game on May 26 against Arkansas-Little Rock.
He finished his three-year career with a .272 average and having played in 127 games with 111 starts. Robbins tallied 111 hits, including 12 doubles and four home runs. He also stole 42 bases.
"My career at WKU is priceless," Robbins said. "I learned so much from (head) coach (Chris) Finwood. He did a great job of teaching me from my first day on campus and he stayed on me the whole time and always was teaching me new things, new techniques and the proper way of doing things. I know without his good coaching that I wouldn't be in this situation, either, so I give a lot of credit to coach Finwood and the whole coaching staff in general. They have all done a lot for me."
Robbins joins teammates Kes Carter, a supplemental first-round selection of the Tampa Bay Rays, Matt Rice, a ninth-round pick of the Rays, Phil Wetherell, an eight-round pick of the New York Yankees and Chris Bullard, a 34th-round pick of the Braves, as Hilltoppers draft picks who have signed minor league contracts. Senior right-hander Brian Edelen also signed a free-agent contract with the Kansas City Royals.
Carter and Rice will begin their professional careers with the Hudson Valley Renegades while Wetherell will report to the Staten Island Yankees. Both teams are members of the New York-Penn League, which is a short-season Class A league.
