BY ADAM ZUVANICH l AVALANCHE-JOURNAL

Jamodrick McGruder says he loves playing baseball — any time, anywhere.

Coaches and scouts feel much the same way about watching him play.

The 17-year-old McGruder, who recently concluded his high school career at Coronado, appears to have a bright future in baseball. The left-handed-hitting middle infielder is headed to Texas Tech in the fall — unless he gets an offer he can’t refuse from a Major League Baseball team.

Coronado's Jamodrick McGruder has signed to play baseball at Texas Tech, but is keeping his options open in case Major League Baseball comes calling.

McGruder wasn’t selected during the first two days of MLB’s First-Year Player Draft, but he could be picked today. He’s ranked as the 106th-best prospect in Texas by Baseball America, and McGruder said he was told he could be selected anywhere from the middle to late rounds.

McGruder said before the draft that he’s not sure whether he’ll stick with the Red Raiders or turn pro, even though becoming a big leaguer has been his lifelong dream. Either way, he feels fortunate that his career will continue at the next level.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal,” McGruder said Sunday, shortly after going 3-for-3 with three runs scored and four stolen bases in the Greater West Texas Baseball Coaches Association All-Star Game at Moegle Field. “Most high school students don’t even get to experience stuff like this, so I’m very excited about it.”

McGruder said he’s tried to model himself after his favorite major league player, New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes. Although McGruder isn’t a switch hitter like Reyes, the two players have awfully similar skill sets.

The 5-foot-9, 165-pound McGruder boasts a quick bat with a touch of power — he hit three home runs for Coronado this year — along with good fielding range and a strong arm. He made four throws from third base to first on Saturday during the GWTBCA’s all-star practice and tryout, and all four were clocked at least 80 mph.

And much like Reyes, McGruder’s best asset is his speed. He scored 47 runs this year, had a .545 on-base percentage and tied a single-season school record with 26 stolen bases — he was caught only once — and McGruder was timed at 6.34 seconds in the 60-yard dash during a pre-draft showcase in Iowa last month.

“Ability-wise, he’s probably one of the better ones I’ve seen (at the high school level),” said Coronado coach Jimmy Webster, who added that McGruder could bunt his way to batting .300. “The first thing you notice about him immediately is that he’s just got explosive speed. That part of it just jumps out at you.”

Webster also praised McGruder’s workmanlike approach and baseball acumen, saying he’s “ahead of the curve” in terms of his knowledge and understanding of the game. And even though Webster only had McGruder for one year — he transferred to Coronado from the Dallas area — the coach said McGruder displayed some leadership qualities as well.

“Jamodrick’s got some fire in his belly,” Webster said. “And in the right situation, I think a lot of leadership skills will come out.”

Despite all his talent and intangibles, McGruder is still a little rough around the edges. He batted only .315 this season — falling well short of his personal goal of hitting .500 — and he struck out a team-high 22 times.

He also committed 17 errors at shortstop for an .851 fielding percentage. No other Mustang made more than six errors.

“I had kind of a slouchy senior year,” McGruder admitted. “I feel I didn’t play to the best of my abilities my senior year. I did OK, but I didn’t live up to my expectations.”

Webster agreed with that assessment, saying McGruder was “capable of more.” The coach said McGruder might have put too much pressure on himself because he was playing at a new school, and Webster also sensed that McGruder felt like he constantly had to prove himself — even though he didn’t need to.

But Webster has no doubts that McGruder will thrive at the next level, whether he’s swinging an aluminum bat or a wooden one.

“If he gets in the right spot where he can relax and go play,” Webster said, “I think he’ll just flourish.”

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