Johnny Coy spent his first days as a Sun Devil finding ways to settle in and beat the heat.

The Benton graduate and Arizona State freshman attended his first classes this week amidst scorching, triple-digit temperatures.

“Just trying to stay in the shade a lot,” Coy said. “It’s pretty hot, but it’s just something I’ll try and get used to.”

Along with his new collegiate lifestyle.

Coy enrolled at the Pacific 10 institution Monday morning, officially ending his chances of signing with the Philadephia Phillies — the team which selected him in the seventh round of last month’s Major League Baseball draft.

Despite the Phillies’ recent pleas for Coy to wait to decide until the Aug. 15 signing deadline, Coy passed on the team’s repeated offers and will be available to re-enter the baseball draft in 2010.

On Tuesday, Coy planned to meet privately with baseball coach Pat Murphy and intends to participate in regular workouts with the Sun Devils’ 14-year coach throughout the summer.

“There’s not a whole lot of people around, and I really want to take advantage of the time I get to spend out here,” Coy said.

The 6-foot-7 freshman also spent some time rubbing elbows with a couple of fellow student-athletes already on campus – including roommate Taylor Rohde, the school’s only other incoming freshman, and football recruit Jack Elway, the son of Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway.

When Coy is not in class, he’ll be keeping up with a strict weight-lifting regimen designed to put approximately 10 pounds on his frame in three months and prepping for life as a two-sport Division I athlete.

“Now that I’m out here, it just makes me realize I made the right choice. I’m really confident of that,” Coy said. “I’m ready to go.”

Sports reporter Andy Meyer can be reached at andymeyer@npgco.com