HATTIESBURG &045; It really could have been anybody to call Jarrett Hoffpauir on Monday afternoon and asking him to join their organization.

For college baseball standouts, the first day of the Major League Baseball amateur draft is kind of like Christmas &045; and can be, depending on how good you are. Hoffpauir had an idea of who might pick him and when on Monday, and it was the St. Louis Cardinals who called with the news.

The Cardinals picked the Vidalia native in the sixth round as the 180th overall pick in the draft as one of two players from the Miss-Lou picked on the first day of the draft. Matt Tolbert of Centreville got picked in the 13th round by the Minnesota Twins.

&uot;That’s kind of what I figured I’d be,&uot; Hoffpauir said. &uot;I figured I’d be between the fifth and 10th rounds. I’m pretty excited. I had heard last night that they may (pick me). I wasn’t real sure how it was going to work. They called me right before the fifth round, and they got me in the sixth.&uot;

Speculating who would pick the Golden Eagle who had a breakout season this spring was a crapshoot with up near 15 teams showing interest. Hoffpauir said he had a gut feeling he would be picked by the Colorado Rockies, and the Kansas City Royals also were reported to have shown interest.

Now Hoffpauir, who finished his junior season in Hattiesburg, faces the decision of whether to forego his senior season and sign a contract or return for his senior season and re-enter the draft in 2005.

&uot;We’ll probably start doing all that (today),&uot; Hoffpauir said. &uot;It’s still up in the air right now. I’m not 100 percent either way. We’ll see. I’ll have to sit down with my mom and dad, my coaching staff and advisor and see what’s best for me and see what happens in the next couple of days.&uot;

Hoffpauir finished his junior season with some of the best numbers in school history. He was named All-American and semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and the Golden Spikes Award, given annually to the top collegiate baseball player in the nation.

He finished the season with a .405 batting average thanks a school-record 109 hits while striking out just eight times in 269 at-bats.

Hoffpauir was one of three Golden Eagles picked Monday and nine taken from colleges within the state. But the Cardinals may have gotten the package deal after they picked USM shortstop Matt Shepherd in the eighth round as the 240th overall pick.

Hoffpauir and Shepherd came in together and first played opposite each other up the middle as freshmen two seasons ago.

The scouting report on Hoffpauir likened him to Atlanta Braves second baseman Marcus Giles, a 5-8, 180-pound second baseman who had made an All-Star appearance. It listed his strengths as good bat speed and mechanics with the ability to hit for power and average, a tough hitter to strike out, sound defensive skills and a good competitor who plays hard every play.

Yet it’s players like Giles and the 5-7 David Eckstein of the Anaheim Angels who may have helped scouts look more at the 5-9, 165-pound Hoffpauir. Eight years ago that might have caused some scouts to turn away.

&uot;I’m sure it hurts me a little bit,&uot; Hoffpauir said. &uot;These days it’s all about height, speed and quickness, but you never know. All it takes is one person to take you, and that’s my chance. That’s all I can ask for. I think (Giles) kind of opened some doors for me &045; him and Eckstein.&uot;