Luke Maile, the Covington Catholic High School catcher who was named Kentucky's Mr.Baseball on Monday, has always been ahead of his time — and his team.

He started as a freshman. The next season he was elected team captain, and not because anyone foresaw him as a career .481 hitter.

"He's very level-headed," said his coach, Bill Krumpelbeck. "The captain of most programs is pretty much the go-between for the coaches and the players. They felt confident that he could approach me if there was a problem. He's just very, very mature. Physically he's a mature kid — he was shaving freshman year."

Maile (pronounced MAY-lee), an 18-year-old who stands 6feet3 and weighs 205 pounds, has signed to play at the University of Kentucky. He was chosen in the 43rd round of last week's major league draft by the Boston Red Sox.

"Basically I have until Aug.15 to decide," Maile said. "I've always wanted to play professional baseball, but I'm not going to jump the gun, so to speak, just to get into it, if I think college is going to help me.

"I know college would be a great experience, and right now, that's all I'm really expecting for next fall. But if the Red Sox decide they really want me, I'd absolutely jump on. … It's tough to get a decent enough signing bonus to really forgo college, but it's definitely fun being in the conversation."

Maile will play this summer, as usual, with the Kentucky Colonels of the Southwest Ohio League. The team, based in Florence, Ky., is coached by former big league pitcher Walt Terrell.

Maile, who hit .554 as a junior, said he tried not to pay attention to the Mr.Baseball talk during his senior year.

"I knew it was floating around," he said. "I tried to stay away from all the hype because you just can't play baseball that way. You can't go around trying to impress anybody.

"I think I play a lot on feel. What I've been told when people watch me play, it's really athletic-looking but it's not maybe as polished as someone at … the collegiate level and professional level. I can play a bunch of positions. Very patient hitter. Very selective hitter."

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Maile can play a lot of positions off the field, too. He has won writing awards and wrote about sports and politics for his school paper.

"They always gave me an editorial section because sometimes I get pretty strong-willed," he said. "I did a few political things with the elections. I've always been interested in politics. I try to stay as well-rounded as I can, but I think most people tell me to shut up and stick to the sports page."

He occasionally had to mention himself in game stories, but when invited to write a longer piece about himself, he declined.

"That'd be a little bit weird," he said.

Maile hit .514 with 12 home runs and 55 RBIs this season. His on-base percentage was .722, with only three strikeouts in 37 games. His team finished 33-4, losing to Beechwood in the regional final.

Maile also played basketball and was on the golf team two years.

His father, Rich, played football at the University of Kentucky in the 1980s. His grandfather, Dick, led LSU in scoring and rebounding three straight seasons in the 1960s and is a member of the Louisiana Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Association also named its Coach of the Year on Monday — Kevin Clary, who guided Lexington Catholic to the state championship.