Ottumwa -- Taylor Ostrich, who had a standout two-year career with the Indian Hills Falcons, played for the first time as a professional this week. Ostrich, the Kansas City Royals' 34th round draft choice in this month's MLB Draft, signed a contract with the Royals and was assigned to their team in the Arizona Rookie League.

A native of Carroll, Iowa, Ostrich went 1-for-3 with a run scored in his debut appearance on Sunday and followed it up with a 1-for-4, one-RBI game the following night against the Texas Rangers' squad in the Rookie League.

Ostrich was a second-team all-region selection after a freshman season at Indian Hills in 2012 where he hit a team-leading .346 with 17 doubles and 31 RBIs. He moved up to first-team all-region the next year, leading Region 11 in RBIs with 41 while batting .345 with 14 doubles and four homers.

His play at IHCC earned Ostrich a scholarship at Old Dominion University in Virginia. As a junior with the Monarchs, he posted a .306 batting average with 12 doubles and four triples. ODU's every-day first baseman, the position he played at Indian Hills, Ostrich hit .295 for the Monarchs this year with four homers and 35 RBIs. He had a .435 slugging percentage and a .448 on-base percentage. His 47 walks ranked second in Conference USA. Ostrich graduated from Old Dominion in May with a degree in sport management.

The Arizona Rookie League schedule runs through the end of August.