Six weeks ago, Adam Hoffman stepped on to a baseball diamond in an organized game for the first time in two years.

Returning to the game that's been his passion was the completion of a journey filled with a little frustration as well as a great deal of determination.

"Baseball's a sport I've loved my whole life" said Hoffman, 18, who graduated from Gateway High School last month.

Playing for the Monroeville American Legion baseball team this summer brought him back to a time before an injury in late spring of 2006 brought everything to a screeching halt.

Everything was going great for Hoffman.

He had just completed a successful sophomore year at Gateway High School where he was a starter on the Gator varsity football and baseball teams.

Hoffman, as a catcher, helped Gateway baseball qualify for the WPIAL playoffs.

On the last day of school, members of the Gateway baseball team went to Monroeville Park to play home run derby and enjoy the warm weather.

A member of the team wanted to stand in at the plate and test the arm of fellow sophomore pitcher Chris Vergos.

Hoffman crouched down to catch for Vergos, but he said he didn't put on his catcher's mask.

"Chris threw about as hard as he could," Hoffman recalls. "The kid swung at it, foul tipped the ball and it hit me under my left eye."

The ball broke most of the bones on the left side of his face, including his orbital bone around the eye and his nose.

"It was pretty bad," Hoffman said. "It stunned me at first. The pain didn't register until about 10 minutes later."

Hoffman was taken to his family doctor, who immediately sent him to Children's Hospital.

He was given a CAT scan. There was too much swelling at first for the doctors to determine what needed to be done.

The doctors feared muscle and nerves in and around Hoffman's left eye might have been compromised. Surgery was a possibility as the doctors continued to monitor the situation and wait for the swelling to go down.

As it turned out, surgery wasn't needed, but for the rest of that summer, his doctor told him he wasn't to lift anything heavier than a bag of bread.

The doctor also prohibited Hoffman from contact sports for at least a year and a half.

Hoffman thought about coming back and playing baseball as a junior. He went through all the off-season workouts.

How far behind he was, coupled with an arm injury, led him to go out for the track and field team instead.

In January, Hoffman started working at the All-American Baseball Center in Trafford.

He also worked out there, hitting off tees and hitting in the batting cages.

Hoffman also began coaching a 9-year-old AAU team.

Through all of that, he got the itch to start playing again.

Though Hoffman didn't compete for the Gateway varsity team this spring, a return to American Legion baseball was in his sights. He played a couple games for the Monroeville Legion team as a sophomore before the injury.

He sat out the first couple of Legion games, but quickly made his mark as a team leader on what was a young Monroeville squad.

"It was a little bit of a shock at first, but I made the adjustment offensively and behind the plate pretty quick," Hoffman said. "The transition was smooth for being off so long."

His first hit -- a double -- came in his third game back. In the very next game, he smacked a home run.

"The experience I've gained from coaching I've used in catching as the general of the defense. There were a lot of young, talented kids on this year's team. I, along with guys like Chris and Rob Wratcher, brought our leadership to the table."

Hoffman also continued to coach the AAU team this summer.

"I love seeing these kids grow and develop," he said. "They're doing everything the right way."

Along with teaching his players the techniques of the game, Hoffman has also brought the message of safety at all times.

"One thing I stress to my team is that if they are going to warm up a pitcher behind the dugout during a game, always put a mask on," he said.

"Safety should come first. My injury could've easily been prevented. It was a really stupid thing because I had all my gear with me. I was just arrogant. I never thought any like that would every happen to me."

Hoffman will attend Gannon University in Erie in the fall.

He would love to try out for the fall team. If the fall team doesn't work out, he said he'll give it another attempt in the spring.

When next summer rolls around, Hoffman will be on the field for the Monroeville American Legion team. He has one more year of eligibility.

"I just want to play as much baseball as I can," he said.