Dirtbags right-hander Logan Lombana became the second Long Beach State baseball player to be selected in the 2015 MLB draft when the Minnesota Twins took him in the 25th round as the 740th overall pick. He joined starting pitcher Kyle Friedrichs, who was taken in the seventh round by the Oakland A’s.
Lombana set career highs in mound appearances and innings pitched for the Dirtbags this season. He also had a career-low 4.34 ERA.
The Newark, California native spent all three of his seasons at Long Beach State coming out of the bullpen. He totaled 52 appearances while accumulating a 2-3 record, 4.55 ERA and one save. Lombana discussed the emotional ride of the MLB draft with the Daily 49er.
How does it feel to become a professional baseball player?
I’m obviously very excited. It’s emotional with all the work that was put into this point to reach the goal of getting drafted. The goal was ultimately reached. It’s a very humbling experience. Now I get to go live that dream and pursue professional baseball.
Where were you when you heard you got drafted by Minnesota?
I was at my house with some family and friends. We were just listening to the computer on the live stream. I got a call in the 17th round from the Twin’s scout and he said they were going to draft me in the next round. Obviously it didn’t happen. He called me again the 22nd round and he was just like, “hey hang in there, I don’t know why they haven’t drafted you yet.” Ultimately I made it in the 25th and I was excited about that.
What was the mood like as the rounds were going by and your name wasn’t being called?
I was very anxious. I wasn’t talking much. Every time the phone rang I was running towards the phone because I thought now is the time to get the call. I was definitely on pins and needles.
Did you know that you were definitely going to become a Twin?
The A’s talked to me a little during the draft and the Mariners did as well. I was hoping maybe one of those two teams would have drafted me but obviously the Twins did. Actually, the A’s scout was talking to me a lot during the last couple of weeks. I thought I was going to the A’s to be honest with you. It would have been pretty cool to play on the same team with my Long Beach teammate Kyle Friedrichs. Kind of like Andrew Rohrbach and Richard Prigatano did last year. But I’m very happy to be a Twin.
What’s the adjustment from college to the minor leagues going to be like?
Right now they are planning to send me to Florida for a physical and all that. Most likely it’s going to be Elizabethton, Tennessee that they’d send me to. In Long Beach there are a lot of things to do. From what I’ve heard about, it’s a minor league town. There is not much to do. The whole city is based on the team there. It’s kind of cool because you’re the star there. They all look up to you because that is their big league team.
What’s been the biggest factor to your success as a pitcher so far?
I would say my parents for sure. My mom and dad were very instrumental in terms of me being the person I am today. My grandparents were also, with their support through everything. They instilled values and work ethics when I was young. Definitely coach Buckley & Steele too. Buckley was the guy who recruited me out of high school and gave me an opportunity to show what I can do. I’m very fortunate for that. He was instrumental in my work and character change. He showed me how to become a man and be a professional. He was very hard on me in Long Beach but it’s because he saw something in me. Steele helped me with this year definitely. He helped me with the draft, as well as Jesse Zepeda.
How does it feel to be able to carry on that Dirtbag legacy of players drafted in the MLB?
It’s a surreal feeling. First I found out I was going to be a Long Beach State Dirtbag and now I get to continue my career as a professional athlete. Hopefully I can carry on the Dirtbag legacy and be a major leaguer like so many other former Dirtbags. I look forward to hopefully playing in the big leagues one day.
What do you plan to buy with your first paycheck?
I got to figure that out. I plan to buy some new equipment. My signing bonus will probably be going to a facility that I can work out in the offseason. That will probably be my first big purchase. The signing bonus is $55,000 and on top of that they paid for my school. Obviously a big thing to get the school part paid for. I wanted a little more but that’s what we negotiated. I’ll take that.
What are your future expectations?
From this point on I expect to keep doing what I’ve been doing: to continue to be the person who I’ve grown to be at Long Beach. That’s what the Dirtbags kind of taught me; how to be a better man and how to be a harder worker. I will continue to try and get better every day. Hopefully in the future I can be a big leaguer with the Twins one day. Hopefully that next dream will come true to be in the big leagues. Keep getting better and getting promoted each year.