All signs pointed to a future in baseball for Kevan Smith.

But his right arm had other ideas.

Smith, who wrapped up his junior year as a catcher on Seneca Valley's baseball team last month, verbally committed to the University of Pittsburgh on Tuesday - as a quarterback.

It's quite a turnaround for an athlete whose future had collisions at the plate written all over it.

"I started at catcher for the varsity team my freshman year," said the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Smith, a resident of Cranberry Township who batted .432 last season. "Ever since then, I figured my future was in baseball."

So how did football claim one of the area's brightest stars on the diamond?

It all began with the Nike Football Camp, held April 30 at Penn State University.

Seneca Valley coach Ron Butschle wrote a letter of recommendation and sent a highlight tape of Smith, which impressed a review board enough that he was selected to compete in Happy Valley.

Smith impressed coaches at the camp with his size, strength and his rifle of an arm.

"I knew that physically, he had all the tools," said Butschle. "And if he went to these camps and performed up to his ability, he'd impress a lot of people."

Next up was the Elite 11 Camp at the University of Michigan in May, followed by the Metro Index Camp in Pittsburgh.

"Everybody kept saying that I had the strongest arm of any of the players," said Smith. "They also believed I had all the tools that college coaches look for."

Interested programs began knocking at the door - Michigan, North Carolina State, Iowa, Michigan State, Toledo and Akron.

But Smith's choice came down to one thing: a comfort level. And Pitt offered just that.

"The opportunity to play for coaches like (Matt) Cavanaugh and (Dave) Wannstedt is the chance of a lifetime," said Smith. "And college football is a 12-month sport. I like knowing that I can get home if I want to … it's only a half-hour away. But a school like Michigan is six hours away.

"Making this decision before my senior year, it's taken a lot of pressure off of my shoulders."

Compared to other high school quarterbacks entering their senior season, Smith's experience on the football field has been minimal.

"I was thinking about not even playing football my junior year and just focusing on baseball," said Smith. "Then Coach (Butschle) told me I'd be the starter last season, so I decided to play."

Unfortunately, surgery on Smith's left wrist kept him out for the majority of the 2004 season.

But in Seneca Valley's final two games against Butler and Fox Chapel, Smith completed 25 passes for 466 yards and four touchdowns.

"Those last two games gave me a lot of confidence in my abilities," said Smith.

Performing well at quarterback camps and being courted by major Division I college football programs will do wonders for a player's confidence, too.

"I can see a big difference in his confidence level," said Butschle. "I'm happy for him - everybody's happy for him.

"But I'm also glad to know that now he's ready to focus on the upcoming season. He gives us a vertical passing attack, and that's something we didn't have most of last year."