Recent Kamehameha Schools graduate Keoni Ruth is certainly hoping one of the 30 teams will be thinking that way during Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft. The 50-round draft runs Tuesday and Wednesday via conference calls.

"I want to play bad," Ruth says of pro ball. "Since I was young, that's been a goal of mine. Only in the past couple of years I realized I actually have a chance. Once I learned that, I kind of pushed myself extra hard."

What few realize is how hard.

The Warriors shortstop was named the Interscholastic League of Honolulu Player of the Year. The fact he even played this past season was amazing.

A 5-foot-10, 190-pound wide receiver in football, he tore his right labrum (part of the shoulder joint) in a game last fall. Ruth could have sat and let the injury heal, but the Warriors were contending for the ILH title and he didn't want to miss a minute. He played with pain, but never missed a beat and earned Advertiser All-State first-team honors.

He had surgery after the season, then heard the bad news from his orthopedic surgeon. "He told me I wasn't going to be able to play (baseball) this season," Ruth recalled.

Determined to play, Ruth focused on rehabbing. His physical therapist was former University of Hawai'i baseball player Curt Watanabe, who sensed what Ruth was going through. Three weeks before the March 18 start of the ILH season, Ruth said he still felt soreness.

"I was told that's just scar tissue," he said. "I was told to keep throwing and (the area with scar tissue) will become more elastic. I just had to tough it out and sure enough, it just loosened up and it felt better."

He credited Watanabe for the fast recovery.

"He really got me ready quickly," Ruth said. "He got me ready as far as range of (throwing) motion and strength-wise to where I could play this season. I appreciate everything he did. As the season progressed, my arm got better and better."

With questions regarding his injury answered, scouts took notice. He said the Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals have shown interest.

Ruth is aware that in the past few drafts there have been Hawai'i players with better individual skills than he has. He said that Shane Victorino (St. Anthony) was faster, that Chad Santos (Saint Louis) had more power, that Bronson Sardinha (Kamehameha) was a better hitter and that Rex Rundgren (Mid-Pacific) could field better. However, while each may have been strong in one or two areas, Ruth is just behind them in all phases. He wants a chance to put those all-around skills to work.

"I'm anxious," he said. "My life could change in one day. I'd like to go through the college experience, but if something comes up, it might take me away from college. Pro baseball is a big step, but that's my dream, to play baseball."

Although Ruth has signed a letter of intent with the University of San Diego, he will listen to offers if he's drafted. He said education is important in his family; his twin sisters — Chelsey and Talia, former all-state softball players at Kamehameha — attend Stanford.

"Education is important just in case baseball doesn't work out," Ruth said. "But I just hope I get what I deserve. If I don't get drafted, I still have a scholarship at San Diego and, hopefully, I can get to the pros another day."