MUENSTER — When Muenster’s Logan Hofmann was drafted last week by Major League Baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals, he thought his dad was pulling his leg.
“My parents and I were all watching on our phones and my dad said, ‘You just got picked!’ And my phone must’ve been behind because it wasn’t on my screen yet, so I thought he was joking for a second then it popped up and we all went crazy. Shortly after I got the call and then it was a scramble to get all of my friends and family over for a gathering that night,” the 19-year-old son of Chad and Tara Hofmann said.
The Cardinals chose the 5-foot-10, 185-pound right-handed pitcher in the 35th round, 1,055th overall in the MLB First-Year Player Draft. He was the lone Saskatchewan product among the 25 Canadians chosen in the three-day event.
“It has always been a lifelong goal of mine to take the next step in my baseball career,” Hofmann said. “Since I’ve been little and heard of people getting drafted, I wanted to be like them. It has been a dream of mine and it actually happened.”
The Cardinals have been in touch with him and he has a decision to make. Hofmann could sign with the Cardinals or head back to school. He starred at Colby (Kan.) Community College for two years and had previously committed to study and play at NCAA Division I Northwestern State University in Louisiana in 2018-2019.
“It will be a tough decision, but I feel like I have put myself in a good situation and whichever route I choose will be good for me,” Hofmann stated on June 7.
His coach at CCC, Ryan Carter, expressed his happiness for Hofmann and his family.
“I believe that Logan was going to succeed no matter what, so the really cool part is that we got a front row seat,” he said. “Logan always puts the team first so it is fitting that in this instance he gets to be the center of attention for a little while. It would be hard for me to accept that this is even the tip of the iceberg for him.”
He recently wrapped up his junior college career by being named All-Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference First Team and All-Region VI First Team for the second straight year. Hofmann was also named the KJCCC Western Division Pitcher of the Year. He went 8-4 and led the conference in strikeouts (128) and (89.2) innings pitched.
A week before the draft, Hofmann to St. Louis for a pre-draft workout. He did some tests and threw a bullpen session.
“It was an awesome experience just being able to get the opportunity and to throw a bullpen at Busch Stadium was something special,” Hofmann said. “There were college and high school guys from all over the country there.”
Shortly after he was picked in the draft, Hofmann departed for Massachusetts. He had already committed to play for the Falmouth Commodores in the Cape Cod Baseball League, a collegiate summer baseball league. Before they played in the majors, such stars as Jacoby Ellsbury, Chris Sale, Jeff Bagwell, and Thurman Munson, to just name a few, developed their games in the Cape Code Baseball League.
“[I’m] really looking forward to it because it is such a historic league and known as the best college baseball league in the country,” Hofmann said.
No matter where Hofmann has played, he has had the backing of his extended family.
“They have been awesome supporting me in whatever decision I make and always are there for me,” Hofmann said. “I can’t thank them enough for everything they have done. Especially my parents for driving me to countless practices and games growing up, they have been great.”
