Kyle Conwell has options.

If the 2009 Tahoma High graduate gets the right offer, he could be playing minor league ball in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization by the end of the summer, and if not he can head down to Abilene Christian University in Texas where he has a baseball scholarship waiting for him.

Conwell was drafted by the Dodgers on June 7 in the 22nd round.

Not bad for a player who injured his throwing shoulder so severely in high school that Bellevue College baseball coach Mark Yoshino didn’t even recruit him.

“That really limited his overall ability,” Yoshino said. “The fact that he’s come back from that and really shown the development of all aspects of his game is really what’s catapulted him into being a professional prospect this year.”

While the 6-foot-2, 190 pounder had always wanted to play baseball professionally, it wasn’t something that he realistically began to think about until early this year when the Dodgers started calling.

“I kind of knew I was going to get drafted,” Conwell said. “I went and worked out in L.A. last week actually. I came home and ended up being drafted in the 22nd round. From there, I’m just kind of sitting around waiting for an offer and we’ll see what goes on after that.”

Leading up to the draft, Conwell said, it was “cool talking to (the Dodgers) and what they saw for me in my future.”

Once his name finally came up, it was a big moment, Conwell added, even though he had been expecting to go in first 10 rounds.

“It stunned me that I was drafted,” he said. “At that point I was still in shock I wasn’t drafted higher. Then it really sank in and hit me a couple hours later. I still got drafted, no matter what round it was, and not a lot of people in Maple Valley get that opportunity to move on. It’s an honor to actually be drafted.”

Conwell was a three year starter at Tahoma High for longtime Bears baseball coach Russ Hayden, who described the young man as “one of our best hitters” despite the fact he struggled his senior year after tearing the labrum in his right shoulder.

“We made it to state all three years Kyle played for us, finishing fourth in 2007, third in 2008 and we lost our girst game at state in 2009,” Hayden wrote in an email.

As a senior, Conwell drove in 23 runs, racked up six doubles and five RBIs.

When he graduated from high school, Conwell played a season at Western Nevada Community College then transferred to Bellevue College for his sophomore year, where he continued to tear the cover off the ball, but also contributed in the outfield for the Bulldogs playing primarily in left field.

In fact, Conwell led the Bulldogs in just about every offensive category, going 54-for-136 with 14 doubles, a triple, four home runs, 38 RBIs, just 17 strikeouts, slugging percentage of .603 and a batting average of .392.

“He’s always been a good hitter,” Yoshino said. “But really developed his game defensively. So, he was a total player by the end of this spring, which was a real boost for him because had been known as an offensive player. How’s anyone going to come back from two surgeries on his throwing shoulder? That’s what makes his development this year so special.”

Yoshino said that if Conwell does choose to sign with the Dodgers, he will have to keep on hitting, because even though he is a complete player, defense is not what’s going to him to the show.

“We’re talking six straight years he’s been the best hitter on his team,” Yoshino said. “That’s why they drafted him. He has a proven track record of excelling offensively. He’s a gifted hitter. There’s no doubt about that.”

Not only does he swing a big stick, explained Kevin Miller, his hitting coach at Bellevue, he’s also got the right kind of attitude.

“He’s refreshing for me to have coached,” Miller said. “He came in with an open mind and a fun attitude. He had a good balance of having fun while still being productive. He was a good example for a lot of our other players.”

Miller explained that Conwell’s demeanor had an effect on the entire team. While Conwell was calm, he was intense and competitive, and “the way he carried himself made the other guys feel more relaxed.”

That attitude Miller attributed in part to Conwell’s dad, whom he described as a “standup nice guy who was intense yet fun loving.”

The hitting coach also felt like the rough ride Conwell went through the past two years through the shoulder surgeries, the rehabilitation and the come back also helped the young man grow up.

“He continued to hit, he improved at hitting,” Miller said. “He put the work in. He did all the things he needed to do to be successful. I know that if Abilene gets him that it will be a good get for them. If he signs, I think he’s mature enough to be able to handle professional baseball life. Whatever decision he makes, he will do well at.”

Conwell said he is likely going to make a decision between college and the Dodgers later in the summer but until he gets a call from the team he’s not sure which way he’ll go.

“I have options,” Conwell said. “I haven’t gotten an offer yet. I’m waiting for that. I’ve got a full ride to Abilene Christian University in Texas, so, it’s got to meet my financial needs for school and just after that. If it’s not what I want, then I’m just going to go to school.”