Cody Herald and baseball are not ready to part ways just yet.

Graduating from Seton Hill University with a degree in elementary education this spring, the Butler graduate closed the book on a college baseball career that included four seasons of hitting over .300.

Herald is hopeful of getting selected by a major league organization in this month’s amateur draft. He is coming off a career-low .306 season at the plate.

“A lot of line drive outs,” Herald said. “That’s just the kind of year it was. All you can do as a hitter is put a good swing on the ball.

“You have no control of it after that.”

Herald was invited back to a Minnesota Twins tryout in Rochester, N.Y., last Thursday. He worked out for the franchise with a number of other prospects earlier.

“They told us if they were interested, they’d call us back. And I got called back,” Herald said.

He also drew the interest of an independent minor league team in Texas that had a scout attending that same tryout session.

The team gave Herald its contact information.

“The guy told me he liked my skill-set and that if I was interested in playing for them to get in touch,” Herald said.

Earlier this year, Herald had seemingly ruled out playing in an independent professional league.

He’s since changed that stance.

“I feel like I’m not through playing baseball,” he said. “I still want to play. I’ve loved this game since I was a little kid.

“If I can keep my dream of playing pro ball alive, I’ll do it.”

And if he can’t, he doesn’t have a bad back-up plan in place.

Herald has signed on as hitting and first base coach with the Butler BlueSox for this season. He played for the Prospect League summer collegiate team the past two years.

“We were looking for a coach and Cody had said he was interested,” BlueSox manager Jason Radwan said. “He’s a local guy, he knows hitting ... He’s the perfect fit.

“Cody knows how this team operates. He knew what was expected of him as a player and he knows what to expect as a coach.”

If Herald gets selected in the amateur draft or signs as an undrafted player with a big league or independent organization, he is free to go.

“We’re hoping it happens for him,” Radwan said. “He’s got the desire and the ability to keep playing and we’re rooting for him.”

Herald knows the odds are against him and admits he’ll be a late-round selection, at best.

“There are so many good players out there, tons of them,” Herald said. “If I get picked, I’m taking my shot. There’s no way I could pass it up.

“If it doesn’t happen and I don’t go play for an indy team, it won’t be the end of the world. The sun will still come up the next day and I’ve got my degree. I’ll stay with the BlueSox for the rest of the summer.

“Staying in this league, building a career as a coach in a league like this, is definitely something I’d have interest in doing. As a player, a coach, coaching high school ball, whatever ... I’m staying in baseball. I know that much. I can’t imagine leaving this game,” he added.