Once reality settled in, Griffin Tobias knew what he had to do.

But the 2024 Lake Central graduate experienced some surreal moments after the Milwaukee Brewers picked him in the ninth round of the MLB draft on Monday.

“The first couple of days were like, ‘Is this really happening?’ and ‘This is pretty awesome,’” Tobias said. “But now, it’s go time. A new journey begins, and it starts now. “

That new journey will not take the Indiana recruit to Bloomington after all. Tobias has decided to forgo college baseball and will travel to Arizona on Sunday to begin his professional career.

“It’s here now, I’m taking it and I’m going to run with it,” he said.

Tobias appeared on draft radars during a stellar senior season in which he went 7-2 with a 0.95 ERA, 98 strikeouts and just 11 walks in 66 1/3 innings to lead Lake Central to the Class 4A state title. He was at his best during the playoffs, posting a 0.72 ERA in four starts.

But Tobias said the idea of skipping college baseball had been on his mind since his junior year.

“That was the year when I started thinking that I really wanted to play professional baseball and that I really wanted to get drafted out of high school,” he said. “College is always there for you. You can always go back. But you’re never going to get the chance to play professional baseball again. If the opportunity came to me, I wanted to go.”

Tobias sought plenty of advice about that decision as it was being formed. Lake Central coach Mike Swartzentruber said part of his message was, “If it feels right to go, go for it.”“A lot can happen at college,” Swartzentruber said. “You can improve and get drafted higher, but you can also get injured. With him getting drafted, Milwaukee has made a commitment to him. So if he’s injured, he’s still under their guidance. They’ve invested time and money in him, so they’re going to do what’s best for him.”

Tobias will find a familiar face when he arrives in Arizona next week. Former teammate Josh Adamczewski, a 2023 Lake Central graduate who was drafted in the 15th round by the Brewers last year, is hitting .323 in 27 games in the Arizona Complex League. Tobias said they’ve had some conversations since he was drafted.

“I’m excited to see Josh again,” Tobias said. “He told me it’ll be stressful at first, but once I get my feet wet, it’ll be fun. I’m just excited to get down there and see what’s going to happen.”

Tobias used the word “excited” frequently as he talked about the next step of his baseball career, which will include his first time being a “PO,” a pitcher only. He hit .308 with a homer, 22 RBIs and 21 runs scored during his senior season.

“I’m excited to grow into that PO role,” he said. “I’ve never really experienced the PO life. I’ve always hit when I pitched or played shortstop. But now I’m just a pitcher. I hope they let me swing a little bit in the cages just to keep that going. But I know that I’m there to get outs.”

Swartzentruber said he believes Tobias will find a way to do that because he has done it for his entire career.

“If he makes it, it’ll be because of what’s between his ears,” Swartzentruber said. “He’s just so mentally gifted. If something’s not working, he’ll figure out how to fix it on the fly. He has such a high baseball IQ. When you get to that level, where so many guys are of equal talent, that’s going to serve him well.”

Tobias said he’ll undergo physicals on Monday before he can sign the contract that will make him a professional player.

“I’m eager to go,” he said. “I’ve been home this whole summer and haven’t had much baseball to play. It’s a little sad leaving home, especially leaving my family. But that’s growing up. That’s life.

“I have no idea what they have planned for me, but I’m excited to find out.”

Dave Melton is a freelancer.