FARGO The road for Logan Williams to North Dakota State started with a long flight from his home in Hawaii to junior college baseball in Arizona. That was just the beginning and that was a long time ago.
It is 2022 and this week it snowed at the end of March in Fargo. It’s probably not fair to ask a senior in his first season with the Bison what it’s like to walk to practice at the indoor bubble 23 games into the season with an overnight coating of fresh snow on the ground.
Yet, the journey has been memorable.
“I wouldn’t change it for the world,” Williams said. “I would do everything over if I had to. I’ve enjoyed it so much, grateful that I’m here.”
NDSU is grateful Williams transferred from Kansas after two years of being a backup. He leads the team with 10 home runs including two grand slams in one game at Northern Colorado last weekend and stands a fighting chance to reach Jeremiah Piepkorn’s single-season team HR record of 21 set in 2004.
At the least, he’s well within reach of the second place number of 14 held by Piepkorn in 2003 and Tony Richards in 1998.
Sometimes, a school strikes gold with a transfer.
Williams had zero home runs in just 21 at bats last year at Kansas. He hit .077 in just 10 at bats the prior year without a HR. It’s been quite the turnaround with the Bison.
“It’s one of those interesting and weird journeys,” said NDSU head coach Tyler Oakes. “He felt like he never got to showcase himself on a day-to-day basis and he’s finally gotten that opportunity and he’s taken full advantage of it.”
Williams entered the transfer portal after his second year at KU, something that Oakes became aware of thanks to Jayhawks assistant coach Ritchie Price. Oakes was an assistant coach under Price at South Dakota State.
“He wanted to go somewhere where he could make an impact,” Oakes said.
It’s helped in a geographical sense that Williams played in the Expedition League, a summer organization that is made up of teams in the Upper Midwest. Williams played for the Badlands Big Sticks in Dickinson, N.D. It also helped that NDSU played Kansas last season and beat the Jayhawks.
“So I knew they were a really good team and now that I’m here, I really like the chemistry that we have here,” Williams said.
Williams spent his first two years at Yavapai College in Prescott, Ariz. He batted .356 his freshman year and .311 his sophomore year with a two-year total of four home runs. Even his uncle Joey Meyers, who played for the Milwaukee Brewers, has to be impressed with the increase in power.
“He’s always been there for me as much as my mom and dad,” Williams said. “Me and him have been working together since Little League and he’s helped me a lot with my swing, my approach and my baseball mentality.”
The Bison, 15-8 overall and 3-0 in the Summit League, were slated to leave Fargo by bus at midnight Wednesday for a weekend series at Western Illinois. Fargo and Macomb, Ill., are not Kailua, Hawaii, Williams’ hometown, but home now is where the baseball diamond is.
“I’ve been on the mainland now for five years, so I’m used to it,” Williams said.
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