More than four hours after the Major League Baseball Draft got underway, Baldwinsville’s Scott Blewett got the call he waited for. It was from the Kansas City Royals, who chose Blewett with the 56th overall selection late Thursday night to begin what could be a long journey in the professional ranks for the senior right-handed pitcher just weeks before he graduates from Baker High School. Minutes after the announcement, Blewett sent out a notice on his Twitter feed: “So blessed to be picked by the Royals and to be a part of their organization. Thank you to all my friends and family for believing in me!” Blewett is a two-time Gatorade New York State Player of the Year. Earlier this year, he was projected as a possible first-round selection, but then slid down the draft boards of most close baseball observers. That likely was due to the fact that, during his senior season at B’ville, Blewett sat out several weeks due to concerns about his throwing arm and shoulder, though he did return in time to pitch in the Bees’ Section III Class AA playoff game against Auburn. Working on a pitch count, Blewett lasted four innings, and then was removed as the Bees eventually lost, 2-1, to the Maroons, who went on to win the sectional title. For the season, Blewett won all four of his decisions and struck out 54 batters in 30 innings, with an 0.23 earned run average. Still, that arm trouble would not scare off the Royals – who, like so many other teams, were drawn to Blewett by his physical build (6-foot-6, 230 pounds) and an ability to throw past 95 miles per hour. Plus, they had seen how Blewett had helped B’ville win its first-ever state Class AA title in 2013. After a first round where 41 players were selected (including Kansas City selecting two other pitchers, Brandon Finnegan and Foster Griffin, with the 17th and 28th picks, respectively), Blewett, who had attended his team’s season-ending baseball banquet earlier that night, waited through half of the second round, which consisted of 32 picks. Then Royals great Willie Wilson went up to the podium at MLB Network studios in New Jersey and announced Blewett’s name, leading him to consider a choice of whether to sign a contract with Kansas City or attend St. John’s University. He is likely to turn pro. Blewett is the fourth Section III player, after Mel Hall Jr. (Port Byron, 1978), Lenny Brutcher (Cicero-North Syracuse, 1988) and Patrick Corbin (C-NS, 2009) taken in the second round of the first-year player draft straight out of high school. Another Baker High School graduate, Jason Grilli (currently an all-star relief pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates), was taken in the 24th round in 1994 by the New York Yankees, so he chose to go to college and, after a successful stint at Seton Hall, was taken fourth overall by the San Francisco Giants three years later, beginning his long pro career.