Division I college basketball or professional baseball? That’s the choice Benton graduate Johnny Coy has faced since Major League Baseball’s first-year player draft earlier this month.

But the Philadelphia Phillies, who picked Coy in the seventh round, tried this week to make that choice somewhat easier.

They said Wednesday that they’ve offered to allow him to maintain his amateur basketball status so he can still play at Arizona State, while playing professional baseball in the summers with the Phillies organization.

“There are only a handful of guys who do (both),” said Marti Wolever, the Phillies director of scouting. “It’s a unique situation. Johnny’s a unique athlete.”

If Coy accepts the offer, he would be sent immediately to the Gulf Coast League. He’d play baseball through mid-August and then report to Arizona State.

Arizona State also would benefit.

They’d get Coy, and they’d get to use the scholarship they offered him on another athlete — because the Phillies would be paying for Coy’s education.

Wolever was in St. Joseph on Wednesday with Brian Kohlscheen — the Phillies’ central regional scouting supervisor — to meet with the Coy family and make the offer.

“Hopefully this way Johnny can get the best of both worlds,” Kohlscheen said.

The Phillies have made this exception before, although not frequently. They drafted and signed Ricky Williams, who played football at the University of Texas and baseball with the Phillies. Williams ultimately chose football (kind of).

The situation is somewhat common with college football players. It’s more rare with the basketball-baseball combination. Danny Ainge is one of the few well-known examples. He was drafted by and played for the Toronto Blue Jays while playing college basketball at Brigham Young University. Ainge later went on to a long NBA career.

“The dual-sport athlete always interests us,” Kohlscheen said. “The risk is high if you miss, but when you hit, you hit big.

“Our risk is that he may think basketball is his game and decide to go that route. It leaves the door open on the NBA even while he’s a part of our (organization).”

But the Phillies are willing to risk this because of what they see of Coy’s potential.

“He’s athletic. He’s got strength,” Wolever said. “And he’s got a chance to hit with real power.”

If Coy chooses this route, he’d be a full-time student and college basketball player from August to May. He’d miss out on the Arizona Fall League and Hawaiian League, something most Phillies’ developmental players participate in. He’d also miss the Phillies’ individualized winter conditioning program, but basketball would obviously substitute for that.

“Then, eventually down the road,” Wolever said, “he’s going to have to make a choice.”