Cam Hassert told his fourth-grade teacher that he would be a professional baseball player one day. On Feb. 3, 2026, the former Lions infielder signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies, the team he grew up rooting for.
“And she was just like, I still have the piece of paper that you have that said you’re gonna be a professional baseball player one day,” Hassert said.
The LMU alum was born in Seattle, Wash., but grew up in Longmont, Colo., where his love for the Rockies started. Hassert remembers going to games in 2007 and finding it surreal to play for the organization now. He spent his undergraduate years playing baseball for Villanova Wildcats and eventually found his way to the LMU Lions as a graduate student.
Hassert reflected on his time at LMU, reminiscing how he loved playing in the California sun being a mile away from the beach, but especially playing with a great group of teammates and having a coach staff that has always been player-centric. “He kind of gave me my own range and gave me some great advice and just helped me along the processes of it and kind of taught me how to act like a pro,” Hassert said of head baseball coach Donegal Fergus. Not only does Hassert have an appreciation for the team and coaches he was surrounded by last season, he also rediscovered his love for baseball during a Friday night game against Seattle University. Hassert was the lead off hitter in the lineup and in his first at bat he hit a double down right field on the first pitch of the game.
“I just remember we won the game and it was awesome.” Hassert said with a smile on his face.
Following his time at LMU, Hassert credited his experience playing in the draft league with the Frederick Keys, as helping prepare him for the professional level. For Hassert, staying consistent has always been a key factor in his on-field performance, especially as he grew in both skill and competition. Since joining the draft team, he began to practice elements that extended further than the team’s usual warmups. It was during this time where he began to prioritize his pregame routine, showing up as early as five hours before a game to eat, warm up and review opponents’ scouting reports to ensure he was prepared for every aspect of the game.
Consistency was crucial for Hassert as he shared how practices such as journaling was a crucial part of his pre- and postgame rituals. He would read out his goals and write down areas in need of improvement, and would later go back to the journal after the game to check off each accomplishment.
“You can ask anyone on the last team I was on. I’d go back in the locker room, get out that stupid journal, and either write an X if I didn’t, a check if I did or a dash if I did OK. Because we got to celebrate the little things still. So it’s a game of failure. A partial win is still a win. But yeah, it’s complicated, but it’s grown over the years,” Hassert said.
For years, Hassert chased his childhood dream, and after a season that re-sparked his love for the game, he received an unexpected call that would soon change the course of his baseball career. While at work he was left with a voicemail around lunchtime that went unnoticed until 9 p.m. that evening. Being too late to respond, the call was later rescheduled to the next morning, and emotions were high as both Cam, his mother and his agent were not sure what was yet to come.
After a night filled with prayer and anticipation, Hassert discovered that he’d been offered a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies, a full-circle moment for a lifelong fan.
“I was thrilled. It was, there’s tears being shed by my mom and both I. Tears have been shed by a lot of people, so it’s been great. I feel loved by the people that supported me the whole way through this,” Hassert said..
As the 2026 season approaches, Hassert is prepared to face this new chapter head-on. He has since reported to Scottsdale, Ariz., with the ACL Rockies for spring training, where he plans to learn and showcase his ability alongside other rookie affiliate players. In a sport with no guarantees, Hassert plans to enter the clubhouse with the same growth mindset that helped him navigate through several levels of skill, as he said,
“I’m going to just go into the same mentality I had with the other leagues, whether it was affiliated or not, you know? Someone’s going to have to rip this jersey off me, so I’m going to keep playing as long as I can.”
From rediscovering his love for the game to signing the contract many ballplayers dream of, Hassert enters the year surrounded by the overwhelming support of those who’ve seen him grow throughout his career. Although this achievement marks the beginning of Hassert’s big league pursuit, he can’t help but continue the dream of that nine-year-old boy from Longmont who said he’d one day play professional baseball.
