NATCHEZ — Former Natchez High standout Kendall Logan has had quite a month.

First, the recently graduated Copiah-Lincoln baseball star was named to the MACJC All-State first team, then he was drafted in the 46th round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Atlanta Braves.

But earlier this week, Logan received an honor that was just as big as the other two.

He was named a National Junior College Athletic Association Distinguished Academic All-American.

“It’s a big honor,” Logan said. “My dad always told me to get my grades first. Ever since I was a little kid I’ve been getting my grades.”

Students who have an accumulative grade point average of 3.8 or better on a 4.0 scale for 45 semester hours, completed three semesters of college work and lettered in one or more sports recognized by the NJCAA are eligible for nomination as a Distinguished Academic All-American.

Logan was a President’s List student at Co-Lin, and was the recipient of the Mathematics Award at the college’s awards day. He was also selected to the Who’s Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges.

Logan coupled his academic prowess with an outstanding sophomore season on the baseball diamond.

Logan, a right fielder, hit .385 on the season with 32 RBI and was 26-of-28 on stolen bases.

But while those statistics are impressive, Logan said his academic statistics are just as important.

“(Making Academic All-American) shows that I’m not just an athlete,” Logan said. “When people think of an athlete, they don’t think of somebody doing well in the classroom. But this shows I’m more than just an athlete.”

Logan said putting in hard work in the classroom and the baseball diamond simultaneously was difficult at times, but it was something he was used to.

“It would get hard at times, because I would miss classes and have to make them up,” Logan said. “But I played three sports in high school so I’m used to making up school work. It was hard, but it wasn’t that hard.”

While he was drafted by the Braves, Logan chose to play baseball at Jackson State this fall and will major in civil engineering.

But even if his baseball career doesn’t work out, he has a healthy academic background to fall back on.

“Sports is my way of getting an education,” Logan said. “Education comes first, then sports.”