Kansas City, Mo. ? Zack Greinke, a tall right-hander with unusual poise for a high school player, was Kansas City’s first-round choice in the June baseball draft Tuesday.

“I’m starting to calm down now a little bit,” said the 18-year-old. “But as soon as it happened, everyone over here including myself, we were like ballistic, jumping around and screaming and stuff. It feels great.”

Greinke (6-foot-2, 200-pounds) led Apopka, Fla., High to a 30-3 record while going 9-2 with an ERA of 0.55. He struck out 118 batters and walked eight.

The Royals, who have chosen a pitcher with their first pick for six straight years, hope Greinke can be put on a fast track to the big leagues.

“This was the best kid on the board,” said Deric Ladnier, the Royals’ senior scouting director. “I was sweating it out, hoping he would get to us.”

Greinke was rated the 10th-best high school prospect by Baseball America.

He was the sixth player taken and the fourth pitcher. He also has a scholarship offer from Clemson, which will give him leverage in negotiations. He can expect a signing bonus in the neighborhood of $2 million.

In the second round, the Royals took Adam Donachie, 6-2, 180, a high school catcher from Orlando, Fla. With their third-round choice, they went for David Jensen, 6-2, 215, a first baseman from Brigham Young.

Daniel Christensen, 6-2, 205, a left-hander from Brooklyn went to the Royals in the fourth round. In the fifth, it was shortstop Donald Murphy, 5-10, 175, from Orange Coast College. In the sixth round, the Royals took another Florida high school prospect, shortstop Brandon Jones, 6-1, 180. In the seventh, they took Jonah Bayliss, a right-handed pitcher from Trinity College. Their eighth-round choice was Kenard Springer, 5-11, 200, a prep third baseman.