Hearing his name called in a professional sports draft was something Shai Robinson had envisioned just about his whole life.

Except Robinson, a Homewood-Flossmoor alum, didn’t initially expect it would happen in baseball.

“It’s been a dream for a long time,” Robinson said. “I think everyone has those aspirations when they start playing a sport. Now, did I think it would be baseball I’d be playing professionally? No. I would have definitely thought football.

“But obviously baseball was what ended up working out for me and now it’s got me here.”

Robinson, a 2022 H-F graduate who has spent the last three seasons playing shortstop at Illinois State, was selected Monday by the Minnesota Twins in the 10th round of the MLB draft with the 299th overall pick.

“It was a great moment,” Robinson said. “Who doesn’t want to appreciate this moment? This is like a 1% moment. I’ve fallen into the 1% of people that actually get to play professional baseball.

“That’s definitely something I’m going to cherish.”

Robinson was the second of five players from the Southland who were drafted, following Lincoln-Way West’s Conor Essenburg going to the Atlanta Braves in the fifth round.

Lewis outfielder George Bilecki, a Marist graduate, was taken by the San Diego Padres in the 12th round. Louisville outfielder Eddie King Jr., a Marian Catholic alum, went to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 16th round, while Lincoln-Way Central pitcher Luke Mensik was chosen by the San Francisco Giants in the 17th round.

Robinson, meanwhile, had eligibility remaining at Illinois State but said he plans to sign with the Twins.It’s been a winding journey to pro baseball for Robinson, who played quarterback for two seasons of lower-level football at Mount Carmel before transferring to H-F for the second semester of his sophomore year.

That was at the start of 2020, and although the pandemic wiped out his sophomore season of baseball, Robinson saw his future starting to shift in that sport’s direction.

“COVID happened and then my recruiting started to pick up for baseball,” Robinson said. “Baseball kind of took off from there. I ended up committing to Illinois State.

“I think I always had a natural love for sports, whether it was baseball, football or basketball. I kind of came to that realization that, ‘Baseball is your sport and you can really go somewhere with it.’”

Lincoln-Way East coach John McCarthy was Robinson’s coach at H-F. He also saw a bright future in baseball for him.

“When I think of him, I just think smooth,” McCarthy said of Robinson. “He’s so smooth as a baseball player in every way. Everything he does, it just looks so easy. He’s a great kid and he was a joy to coach.

“I’m really, really happy for him. He just needed a shot. There’s no question he’s deserving of this opportunity.”

Robinson had his freshman and sophomore seasons at Illinois State cut short by injuries, playing in about half of the team’s games each year.

Finally healthy for a full spring this spring, he made 54 starts at shortstop and hit .269 with 10 home runs and 45 RBIs. He’s also developed a reputation as a first-rate defensive player.

Robinson said dealing with some adversity in college made him appreciate the sport more.

“I went through some trials and tribulations with injuries,” Robinson said. “I think it’s important to experience ups and downs in a sport and realize that you can be humbled and it can all be taken away in the snap of a finger.”

Now, Robinson is ready to realize his dream of becoming a professional athlete.

He’s waiting to see where that journey will begin within Minnesota’s organization, but he knows that wherever it happens, the first game will be special.

“I’m looking forward to that first at-bat and I think I’ll be just walking up to the plate and thinking, ‘It’s real now,’” Robinson said. “I think that will be a surreal moment where all the work you’ve done over the course of your lifetime has paid off.”