Logan Carter had never even thought about baseball before high school.
Growing up in Cottonwood, Texas, a quiet town with a single grocery store and more cows than people, Logan had spent most of his time doing whatever seemed fun at the moment—riding his bike, playing video games, and throwing rocks at fences just to see if he could hit the same spot twice.
He always could.
His mom, Emily Carter, worked long hours at the local diner. A single mother who had been raising Logan alone since he was three, she did everything she could to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. Sports weren't exactly a priority in their household.
Baseball? It was barely a blip on Logan's radar.
But his best friend, Drew Matthews, had been obsessed with baseball since he could walk. He collected baseball cards, watched every game, and could rattle off stats like a walking encyclopedia.
Every day after school, Drew would grab his glove and head to the baseball field, dragging Logan along—even though he never wanted to go.
"Come on, Logan," Drew whined for the hundredth time. "Just take a few swings. What's the worst that could happen?"
Logan stretched out on the grass, staring up at the sky. "I could get bored and die of boredom. That's pretty bad."
Drew groaned. "You're the worst. Just try it once."
"Nope."
"Why?"
"Because baseball is boring," Logan said. "You stand around, wait forever, and maybe—maybe—something happens."
Drew crossed his arms. "You like hitting things, right?"
"Yeah?"
"Then you'd like baseball."
Logan snorted. "Doubt it."
For weeks, Drew kept trying, but Logan kept refusing.
It wasn't until one afternoon in the school cafeteria that Drew finally found the right argument.
"Dude," Drew said, sliding into the lunch table across from Logan, "you ever think about college?"
Logan shrugged. "Kinda. Not really."
"You know baseball players get full scholarships if they're good, right?"
That got Logan's attention.
Emily Carter worked double shifts at the diner just to pay rent. She never complained, but Logan knew money was tight.
Drew saw the gears turning in Logan's head and pounced.
"You wouldn't even have to be that good," Drew said. "Just hit the ball, look cool, and let the scouts drool over you."
Logan stared at his lunch tray. "You swear scholarships are a thing?"
"Dude, I swear on my baseball card collection."
Logan let out a deep sigh.
"Fine," he muttered. "I'll try."
Drew practically jumped out of his chair. "YES! You won't regret this!"
Logan already did.
⸻
The First Swing
The next day, Drew dragged Logan to the baseball field behind the school.
Logan stared at the bat in his hands like it was an alien object. "This thing is weirdly heavy."
Drew rolled his eyes. "Just hold it like this."
Logan copied his stance.
"Now swing through the ball—"
CRACK.
The plastic ball rocketed off the tee and slammed into the outfield fence.
Drew's mouth fell open.
"Dude."
Logan frowned. "Was that good?"
Drew blinked. "Uh. Yeah."
He quickly grabbed another ball. "Try again."
CRACK.
Another laser into the fence.
By the time Logan had hit ten in a row, Drew was pacing back and forth like a madman.
"This is insane," he muttered. "This is, like, not normal."
Logan shrugged. "Feels easy."
Drew stared at him. "Dude, you ever think about playing for the team?"
Logan laughed. "Why? I don't even know the rules."
"You don't need to know the rules," Drew said. "You just have to hit the ball. And, uh—well, you don't miss."
Logan sighed. "I dunno, man."
Drew narrowed his eyes. "You do want a scholarship, right?"
That shut Logan up.
"…Fine," he muttered. "I'll try out."
⸻
The Tryout
When Logan told his mom about baseball, she didn't know what to say.
"Baseball?" Emily said, stirring a pot of spaghetti on the stove. "Since when do you play baseball?"
"I don't," Logan admitted. "But Drew thinks I'd be good at it."
Emily gave him a skeptical look. "Since when do you listen to Drew? Last time you did, you ended up eating a whole jar of pickles and throwing up in my car."
Logan laughed. "Yeah, that was bad."
She wiped her hands on a towel. "You really wanna try this?"
"I think so," Logan said. "Might be fun."
Emily smiled softly. "Well, as long as you're happy, I'll support you."
That was all he needed to hear.
The next day, Logan showed up to baseball tryouts wearing sneakers, jeans, and a T-shirt.
Every other kid had on baseball pants, cleats, and their own equipment. Some of them had been playing since they were five.
Logan, meanwhile, didn't even know how to put on a batting helmet.
Drew sighed, yanking it off Logan's head. "Dude, it's backwards."
"Does it matter?"
"YES, IT MATTERS."
Coach Talbot had been a minor league catcher in his younger days, and it showed. His voice was rough like he gargled gravel for breakfast, and his patience for nonsense was nonexistent.
Standing beside him was team captain Ryan "Big Mac" McAllister, a senior first baseman built like a truck with legs. Big Mac had been the heart and soul of the team for the last two years, and everyone respected him.
"Alright, listen up!" Coach Talbot barked. "If you don't hustle, you're done! If you can't hit, you're done! If you're just here to impress your girlfriend—get out now!"
A few chuckles rippled through the group.
Logan Carter, standing awkwardly in his sneakers and jeans, drew a few glances. The other players could tell immediately he wasn't a baseball guy.
Drew Matthews, standing beside him, gave Logan a pat on the shoulder. "Alright, buddy, just try not to embarrass yourself before you hit."
Logan smirked. "No promises."
⸻
Batting Practice
"Let's see what you kids can do at the plate," Talbot called out.
The first wave of batters stepped into the box. Tanner Mills, the team's ace pitcher, was on the mound.
Tanner was a menace—he had a solid 85 mph fastball, a wicked curveball, and a cocky smirk that made hitters sweat.
One by one, hitters struggled against him.
Swing and miss.
Groundout.
Pop-up.
"Come on, boys," Talbot grumbled. "Someone hit the damn ball."
Finally, it was Logan's turn.
Tanner Mills narrowed his eyes when he saw him step up. "This guy serious?" he whispered to Big Mac.
Big Mac chuckled. "No clue. Looks like he just walked in from math class."
Tanner snorted. "This won't take long."
Logan grabbed a bat, stepping into the box without a batting stance, just standing relaxed.
Tanner wound up and fired a fastball.
CRACK!
The ball exploded off Logan's bat, a line-drive missile that crashed off the left-field fence.
Silence.
Tanner blinked.
Big Mac whistled.
Coach Talbot muttered, "Huh."
Drew, grinning like a madman, fist-pumped in the background.
Tanner scowled and threw another fastball, inside this time.
CRACK!
This time, Logan pulled the ball down the line, nearly taking out the third baseman.
"Yo, what the hell?" someone muttered.
Tanner, now annoyed, shook his head. "Okay, let's see if you can hit this."
He threw a curveball, the kind that usually made high school hitters flinch.
Logan didn't flinch.
He tracked it perfectly, waiting an extra half-second, then laced it into center field like he had seen it a thousand times before.
Big Mac turned to Coach Talbot. "Coach, where the hell did this guy come from?"
Talbot crossed his arms. "I have no idea."
⸻
The Next Pitchers
Now the entire team was watching.
Coach Talbot waved over another pitcher, Marcus Lee, a lefty with a nasty slider.
Marcus smirked. "Alright, rookie, let's see if you can hit breaking stuff."
First pitch: A tight, sweeping slider that usually fooled hitters into swinging early.
Logan waited on it and lined it straight into right field.
Marcus frowned. "No way."
He threw a changeup. Logan didn't bite. He just watched it drop.
Then, the next pitch—a fastball—Logan turned on it and sent it over the left-field fence.
The dugout exploded.
"Bro, is this guy a robot?"
"WHAT is happening?"
Even Big Mac, who had seen every hitter come through the program, was blown away.
Logan stepped out of the box, handing the bat back like nothing had happened. "That good enough?"
Coach Talbot grunted. "You're not bad."
Drew threw his arms up. "NOT BAD? COACH, HE JUST PUT ON A SHOW!"
Talbot ignored him, turning to Big Mac. "What do you think?"
Big Mac studied Logan, then nodded. "If he can do that in a real game, we win a lot of ball games."
Coach Talbot grinned. "Then he's on the team."
⸻
Meeting the Team
After practice, the veterans gathered around Logan, sizing him up.
Tanner Mills folded his arms. "Alright, new guy. What's your deal? You play somewhere before?"
"Nope," Logan said.
Marcus Lee squinted. "Wait… you've never played?"
Logan shook his head. "Nah, I just started today."
Silence.
Then Big Mac burst out laughing.
"Wait—you're telling me you just walked in here, never played a game, and turned Tanner and Marcus into batting practice?"
Logan smirked. "Guess so."
Tanner muttered, "That's ridiculous."
Big Mac clapped a hand on Logan's shoulder. "Well, welcome to the team, Carter. You just made this season a whole lot more interesting."
Coach Talbot walked up, arms crossed. "Alright, Carter. You can hit, I'll give you that. But let's see if you can play actual baseball."
Logan nodded. "I'll figure it out."
Talbot chuckled. "Yeah, we'll see."
Drew ran up, beaming. "Dude, I told you! You're gonna be a star!"
Logan rolled his eyes. "I still don't know what an infield fly rule is."
Big Mac grinned. "Don't worry. Just hit like that, and we'll handle the rest."
⸻
The Aftermath
That night, at home, Logan walked in holding a brand new baseball jersey.
Emily Carter, sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee, looked up. "What's that?"
"I made the team," Logan said.
Emily raised an eyebrow. "Already? I thought you were just trying out."
Logan shrugged. "Guess they really liked me."
Emily laughed, shaking her head. "Well, I guess we better learn a little about baseball then."
That night, Drew showed up with a stack of baseball books and videos.
"Alright, rule number one: You need to know what an out is."
Logan groaned. "This is gonna suck."
Drew grinned. "Nah, dude. This is just the beginning."
And it was.
Because by the time the MLB scouts arrived, the world would know the name:
Logan Carter, the kid who never missed.
⸻
To Be Continued…
(Next Chapters: Logan dominates high school baseball, gains national attention, and prepares for the MLB Draft.)