Jess Hangs with: Scott Hofer

Jess, our intrepid and always-reliable sports page designer, starts her series of player profiles with a bang. In the first installment, she catches up with catcher/first-baseman Scott Hofer.

Take it away, Jess:

What do Kobe beef, funk guitar, and baseball all have in common? Although your immediate answer may be nothing, if you dig a little deeper (as I was able to the other morning at C-Shop) you’d find out it’s Scott Hofer, fourth-year catcher and first basemen for the baseball team. Hofer, who has started fifteen games for the Maroons this season, had breakfast with me to share his thoughts on the team, graduating, and his surprisingly romantic side.

Hofer, who is playing his last season this quarter, was able to reflect on his time at Chicago, with some of his favorite recollections coming from his time spent with the baseball team.

“One of my best memories was playing in Japan in front of 15,000 people,” Hofer reminisced.

Hofer and the rest of the baseball team traveled to Japan in 2008, a tradition that dates back to 1910.

“We got to visit the Osaka Dome, Kyoto, and Hiroshima…which is interesting because atomic power was developed at our school,” Hofer said.

The team traveled across the Pacific and played games in Waseda, Osaka, and Tokyo. However, baseball wasn’t the only thing on Hofer’s mind.

“I liked the Kobe beef.”

Back here in the Midwest, though, Hofer didn’t just spend his time catching balls in the Windy City; he has been an active member of the university in other ways.

“A great memory was joining the Phi Delta Theta fraternity which was really fun,” Hofer said.

Hofer also enjoyed taking classes in his major of Political Science and at the Booth School of Business.

“My favorite was a class I took with John Mersheimer, the father of realism,” Hofer said.

Hofer’s talents also extend beyond the baseball field as he also plays guitar in a funk and blues band with other students from the school.

Being an exceptional baseball player, a motivated student, and a talented musician is usually enough for one person to handle, especially at the U of C. Yet Hofer seems to juggle all these things and one more: When I asked him of his best memory at the University he replied simply, “Meeting my girlfriend Joanna.”

On and off the field, Hofer seems to have it all, yet he’s still excited for the rest of Spring quarter and graduation. Looking forward for the team, Hofer said he was happy about the first-year class of players who “are some of the best players on the team.” After graduation, Hofer plans on working in Chicago, although he doesn’t know where he’ll ultimately end up.

“Just not the East Coast.”