Outside of PK Park, there’s a poster of each player. Each picture is an action shot of the athlete doing what they do best.
But for senior right-hand reliever Logan Mercado, it’s more than a photo of him pitching. In the middle of his leg kick, his glove covers the lower half of his face. His focused gaze on the catcher isn’t what stands out. It’s the small yet bold Mexican flag patch near the web of his glove.
After Oregon baseball’s first Pac-12 title in program history and hosting the Super Regionals last season, the Ducks have been focused on protecting the culture. For Mercado, that slogan means more than the field. It’s about honoring his family’s heritage and contributing to the future of the game in any way he can.
On his dad’s side, Mercado’s family roots go back to Mexico. While it’s still unknown the specifics of where and how they got there, he’s spending his free time from baseball learning about his heritage.
“This year especially I’ve been learning a lot more about my family heritage,” Mercado said. “I got to see my family from my dad’s side a couple weeks ago in Texas [for the Shriners Children’s College Showdown] and I kept asking him questions. I got a lot of pictures and documents, it’s pretty cool.”
When Mercado first started playing baseball at two years old, it was his dad who introduced him to the sport. He doesn’t come from a family of athletes and he’s the first to make it this far. However, his dad emphasized the importance of giving it his all.
“He always wanted me to give 100% in everything,” Mercado said. “Whether it’s baseball, school, friendships, relationships or anything at all, he always inspires me every day, just by the way he works.”
In Hispanic culture, close family relationships are one of the biggest traditions. His freshman year of high school at Tri-Cities Prep, his older brother Trent played on the same team for the first time. While Trent was pitching, Mercado would be playing third baseman. They ended that season with a state championship.
“It was pretty special for our family,” Mercado said. “My parents got to see their two sons go at it together and we ended up having a very, very good season.”
Community is also a big part of Hispanic culture. Being able to give back to the people who invested in you is always the goal.
Growing up, Mercado looked forward to watching Team Mexico at the World Baseball Classic. The 2023 team was his favorite to watch because they were “flashy and fundamental.” It was also the best Mexico had ever performed in the tournament. Before 2023, they had never been a top-four team. They finished third behind the United States and Japan.
“It’s cool to see Mexican baseball players make it that far,” Mercado said. “They made their country proud. It was pretty cool being a Mexican baseball player at that time.”
While he’s waiting for the World Baseball Classic to come back in 2026, he hopes to devote himself to the future of baseball after his time at Oregon.
After he takes baseball as far as he can, Mercado wants to give back to his hometown in Pasco, Wash. because of its heavy Hispanic population — well over 50 percent — and baseball is starting to grow in that area.
“I really want to coach,” Mercado said. “But, ultimately I’m gonna go back home and give back what I was given because I was very fortunate to be in the position I was in and I had a lot of good people around me. I want to give back to the Hispanic community and anyone who helped me get to where I am today.”
As the Ducks look to add on to the success they had last season by protecting the culture, Mercado is protecting his own. The small patch symbolizes his family, community and the next generation of Mexican baseball players. When fans glance at the photos outside of PK Park, they won’t just see a versatile pitcher who transitioned from the starting rotation to the bullpen, but a player who carries his heritage with every pitch.
