http://www.kansas.com/sports/lutz/story/665336.html Derek Norris turned down a scholarship offer to play baseball at Wichita State -- a decision that caused noticeable eyebrow raising -- to sign with the Washington Nationals. It was the summer of 2007 and Norris, who played high school baseball at Goddard, had been taken by the Nats in the fourth round. Being chosen in the fourth round of the Major League Baseball Draft is heady stuff, but so is a chance to play at WSU. Especially for a kid from Goddard. Norris, who had orally committed to play for the Shockers, had a decision to make. But it didn't take him long. He signed with Washington for $210,000. Good money, but there's always the chance he could have improved his stock -- and his bank account -- by playing three seasons at WSU. Norris knows that. "Wichita State obviously has a great program or they wouldn't be where they're at," he said. He decided college wasn't for him. At least not then. He decided he wanted to concentrate solely on baseball, without school being in the way. He decided to go pro. Then he went out and batted .203 in the short-season Gulf Coast League. And that was only after a little offensive spurt in the final couple of weeks lifted his average from the .160s. "My first day there, I was 2 for 4 with two doubles and a couple of fly balls to the wall," Norris said. "I was like, 'This isn't as tough as I thought it would be.' The next day I was 0 for 4 with a couple of strikeouts, nothing even close to a hit." It was tough, and Norris was just happy for the season to end so he could go about trying to fix the things that were wrong with his swing. He worked with former Newman coach Paul Sanagorski, who spent seven years as a hitting instructor in the Florida Marlins system and has been with the Nationals the past two years. Sanagorski, who lives in Wichita, stressed the fundamentals -- balance, using the whole field, swing path, better use of hands. It was methodical and mundane. But the results were magnificent. Norris, who switched from third base to catcher before his senior year at Goddard, batted .278 at short-season Vermont in 2008. He was a more patient hitter, leading the New York-Penn League in walks and producing a .444 on-base percentage. He popped 10 homers in only 227 at-bats and stole 11 bases. Norris was so good that when Baseball America ranked its top 10 Nationals prospects recently, Norris was No. 6. The magazine had this to say about his future: "If Norris can become just adequate defensively, his bat could make him a star in the big leagues." Norris said he hasn't seen the magazine's assessment, that he's been too busy working on his hitting and catching skills during this offseason. "His work ethic is really good," Sanagorski said of Norris. "He came out of high school, like everyone else, with a lot of mechanical issues." Now, Sanagorski's hitting instruction is more subtle. It revolves around pitch recognition and being able to pick the right pitch to hit. Norris' patience has been a big boost to his career. "He does have a great eye," Sanagorski said. "That makes life a lot easier. You can't hit unless you're hitting good pitches." Norris was described in the Baseball America article as being raw defensively. He doesn't disagree, but thinks he's getting better. He had 16 passed balls last season, but said that had a lot to do with trying to learn the tendencies of a lot of different pitchers who came through Vermont. He admitted he has not refined the fine art of blocking, often choosing instead to try and pick a ball in the dirt with his glove. Then again, Norris doesn't turn 20 until Valentine's Day. Refinement has time. "I think that first year, I wasn't used to being away from home and I struggled a little bit," Norris said. "I wasn't used to being alone. But once I got used to it, I wouldn't want it any other way. I love living on my own. It's all about adjustments." Norris is making them, both as a player and a human being. Adjustments are required when you're 18, just a few weeks removed from your graduation, and you find yourself in the dusty Gulf Coast League playing in dingy ballparks and riding in dirty buses. Norris is through all that now. He has regained his focus and it's solely about the baseball. It looks like he's headed for Class-A ball in Hagerstown, Md., to start the 2009 season with a lot more confidence than he had at this time last year. "I don't feel overwhelmed now," Norris said. "Maybe there was some of that my first year. That was different. But you've just got to learn. It's all about the adjustments." --

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