PBHS graduate inks with Royals

Torii Hunter is no longer the only “TOR-ry” from Pine Bluff to be a part of a major-league organization.

After spending one year at Arkansas Baptist in Little Rock, Pine Bluff native Torey DeShazier signed a professional contract with the Kansas City Royals on Friday.

DeShazier, a starting pitcher, was not drafted in last week’s 40-round MLB draft, but was still able to land with a team. He left for Arizona on Sunday and will pitch for the Arizona League Royals, one of Kansas City’s four rookie league teams.

“I am excited and I was really blessed with an arm that got me one year at school,” DeShazier said. “My coaches said I would make it and I just believed that I could make it. … I decided to take the first opportunity.”

DeShazier played for the Pine Bluff Zebras a year ago before he decided to go the junior college route. He pitched in 14 games for Arkansas Baptist and struck out 59 batters in 58 2/3 innings. He had a 4.91 ERA and had a 6-3 record.

“I think it was a successful year because if it wasn’t, I wouldn’t be where I am now,” DeShazier said. “The Royals were looking at me in the middle of the fall year and continued to talk to me.”

DeShazier, who is 6 feet and weighs in at 160 pounds, has a fastball that is consistently 88-89 miles per hour. He said it has topped out at 91-92 mph. DeShazier’s main pitch is a curveball that he said he has been throwing since he was young.

“I have perfected it and I have a little bit of velocity and that’s what they really liked about me,” DeShazier said. “It’s like a 12 to 6 curveball, but also is like a slider but is not a slurve. It just do what it do.”

The Arizona League Royals’ season starts on June 20 and ends on Aug. 29. During that time, DeShazier knows what he has to work on.

“I need to work on my changeup, getting bigger and stronger and getting in shape,” he said. “I got to add some weight and if I had more weight, I would be throwing 92 or 93.”