It may have taken longer than expected, but it was worth the wait.

After weeks and months of speculation that Tim Melville would be taken in the first round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, it wasn't until the fourth round on Thursday that the Kansas City Royals selected the Holt right-hander with the 115th overall pick. Though admittedly frustrated to watch over 100 players get chosen ahead of him, Melville said he couldn't be happier to land with the Royals.

"Everything happens for a reason, and I'm happy with where we got picked," Melville said on Friday.Though Melville had met scouts and officials with nearly every Major League team prior to the draft, he went to Kansas City for a private workout at Kauffman Stadium about a week ago, throwing off the mound in front of the Royals' top brass, and said he came away with a good feeling about the team and the direction that it is going.

"I know their organization the most out of all of them, and I just felt comfortable around those guys, every single one of them," he said.

Despite the fourth-round selection, Valerie Melville, Tim's mother, said they were optimistic that her son would get a first-round offer from the Royals, although she said they are prepared for negotiations to stretch close to the Aug. 15 deadline.

"We spoke with the Royals (Thursday) night, and they gave us every indication that things will work out," Valerie Melville said. "We just have to take it one step at a time."

And if things don't work out, Melville still has a heck of a Plan B option, as he has signed a scholarship with the University of North Carolina.

"Those guys, they've given me tons of support throughout this whole process," Melville said of the Tar Heels. "They're very happy with any decision I make. They just want me to make sure it's the right one."

To comment, visit stcharlesjournal.stltoday.com.