A Bit About Me:

My name is Luke Schafer, and I'm a professional baseball player, currently working to get signed to an affiliated team as I chase my dream of reaching the MLB.

I graduated from Rockhurst in 2019, where I played varsity baseball for three years before heading to Ball State University. I went in as a low to mid-80s arm, recruited by a pitching coach who promised he could help me gain velocity. At the time, they had two 100 mph arms and several in the mid-90s, so it felt like a no-brainer. I bet on myself and committed.

However, just before I got to campus, the coach who recruited me took a job with the Yankees. I stuck with my commitment, but things didn’t go as planned. I performed well in the fall and leading up to the season, but on opening weekend, I was thrown into a tough situation—bases loaded, no outs, down 8 runs in the first inning with a packed crowd. It didn’t go well, and I was taken off the travel roster because I was only up to 87 mph, which they said wasn’t enough.

I spent the rest of that year long-tossing in the outfield and sitting in the dugout. Before COVID hit, I was throwing 89-92 mph and felt like I was turning a corner, but the pandemic crushed that momentum. That summer, I pitched in a league back home, was named Pitcher of the Year, but my velocity was only in the mid-to-upper 80s.

Back on campus, the struggles continued. I knew I needed more velocity, so I tried a stint with Tread Athletics. It helped me understand training and pitching, but I got way too focused on mechanics, trying to hit perfect positions and not really even understanding them. In games, I struggled—battling myself more than the hitters. In 2.5 years, I logged less than 10 collegiate innings.

I decided I needed a change and entered the transfer portal. That summer, I had a rough stretch, hitting a lot of batters and struggling with control. My stats were bad, but the pitching coach there stuck with me and helped me turn it around. Despite the early struggles, one coach saw potential and gave me an opportunity—I transferred to Indiana University Southeast (IUS).

At IUS, I earned the Friday night starter spot and threw 70 innings in my first year, helping my team reach the conference championship game. That summer, I pitched really well in the Northwoods League and ended the year with 100 innings. 

The following year, I was ready to build on what I had just accomplished. And I did. I broke the school’s single-season strikeout record, helped us reach the World Series, became an All-American, and started my pro career with the Boise Hawks in the Pioneer League.

But, after throwing 100+ innings in college, I hit a wall in Boise. I wasn’t sharp, I wore down, and after pushing my total to roughly 150 innings on the year, I got released. That stung, but it forced me to reset. 

The Glacier Range Riders gave me a second chance in pro ball. I received a spring training invite and never looked back. In the same league I was released from the year before, I showed up better. I ended up finishing top-5 among starting pitchers in wins, strikeouts, and ERA. I tied the franchise record for wins and set new marks for strikeouts and innings, alongside two teammates who climbed past the old numbers with me. I held an average FB velocity of 92.0 and topped 95 over the course of that season. 

My goal is to make it to the Major Leagues and thrive there. Every day, I’m working toward being capable of doing that. Through my career, I’ve learned a lot about what matters in baseball and development. I don’t claim to know it all, but I’m living proof of what can happen with hard work, consistency, and refusing to stop. Now, I want to help others reach their potential and avoid the mistakes I made. I’m looking to train athletes who are serious about getting better and building a community that thrives on that mindset.