Zinks have a diamond relationship at Southeast Missouri State

~ Zinks tackle athletics, academics as a household

Kaitlin Zink is a senior shortstop and three-year starter for the Southeast Missouri State softball team, while John Logan Zink is a junior utility player for the Southeast baseball squad.

But the Zinks are far from your typical college student-athletes.

Not only do they face the usual challenges of balancing sports and academics, they face the unusual situation of having marriage thrown in the mix.

John Logan Zink and the former Kaitlin Wallace, who grew up in small south central Illinois towns about 45 minutes apart but didn't meet until they both attended the same junior college, wed in July.

Southeast softball player Kaitlin Zink and Southeast baseball player John Logan Zink married last summer in Louisville, Ill. (Southeast Missouri State University)

Challenges notwithstanding, they say they wouldn't have it any other way.

"It's awesome," John Logan said.

"We love it," Kaitlin chimed in.

As for how the couple came to love each other, that wasn't a possibility until they both left their hometowns in the fall of 2009 to play sports at Olney (Ill.) Central College.

Kaitlin's closest friends on the softball team lived in apartments where some baseball players lived, including John Logan.

ABOVE: Kaitlin Zink fields a ground ball during a game earlier this season. LEFT: John Logan Zink bats during a game last season.Southeast Missourian file

"I was over there a lot, and that's how we met," said Kaitlin, who is from Newton, Ill.

Soon they went out.

"We started dating May 6, 2010," said a smiling John Logan, who is from Louisville, Ill., without batting an eye.

The relationship might have hit a roadblock when Kaitlin was offered a scholarship to play softball at Southeast, where she enrolled in the fall of 2010.

John Logan remained behind at Olney Central, where he had redshirted his first season. Kaitlin said she was reluctant to leave him, but he convinced her to make the move.

"It was hard to be apart, but we were both so busy," she said.

Kaitlin fit in well at Southeast, earning a starting position at third base during her rookie season with the Redhawks in 2011, while John Logan had a big year at Olney Central.

John Logan could have spent another season at Olney Central, but with their relationship thriving -- they became engaged in July of 2011 -- he elected to join Kaitlin at Southeast and attempt to join the baseball team as a walk-on.

"I decided I was going to come here no matter what -- to be closer to Kaitlin," he said.

John Logan was able to hook up with the Redhawks and became a valuable squad member, able to fill in at a variety of positions.

With their athletic and academic careers progressing well in Cape Girardeau -- both are Southeast Scholar Athletes -- the Zinks were married July 7 in Louisville, Ill.

"There's definitely a lot of challenges there, but those are two quality people. They really balance school, academics and their faith," Southeast baseball coach Steve Bieser said. "To me, it's really neat to see. My first year of pro ball, I was married so I kind of know what they're going through."

The Zinks believe they have handled their first year of marriage, juggling sports and school in the process, exceedingly well.

"We never fight," said a laughing Kaitlin, who also played third base for the Redhawks last year before moving over to shortstop for the 2013 season that recently concluded.

Not that there aren't speed bumps.

"Mostly, just being tired. We come home, we don't want to do anything," she said.

Perhaps the biggest challenge is financially.

"We don't have any money," she said, then added with a grin: "We take donations."

They say they receive their share of good-natured ribbing from friends and teammates.

"I would say they think it's pretty cool. A lot of them call me 'Mom.' They call him 'Dad,'" she said.

They say they want to have three or four children but will wait until both are settled into their careers.

John Logan graduated Saturday. He will continue his education at Southeast next year as he plays his final season of baseball eligibility, then will likely join his family's business back home while he also pursues a coaching job.

Kaitlin, majoring in education, will graduate in December before becoming a teacher and coach.

Both figure they'll settle down near where they grew up -- but never met.