MINNEAPOLIS — The journey was long and frustrating at times, but Kevan Smith realized a dream Thursday night.

The Seneca Valley graduate and former Butler BlueSox catcher became a major leaguer.

Smith, 28, was recalled by the Chicago White Sox as a September call-up from Class AAA Charlotte and made his major league debut in Chicago’s 8-5 loss to the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. He entered the game in the eighth inning and lined out to center field in his first major league at bat.

Smith had been recalled by the White Sox in April and was preparing to make his first big league start when he suffered back spasms during pre-game warmups. He wound up on the disabled list.

At the time of his Thursday call-up, Smith was hitting .219 with eight homers and 24 RBI.

Originally selected in a late round of the MLB draft out of high school, Smith spurned professional baseball to attend the University of Pittsburgh. He started a few games at quarterback as a freshman for Pitt — including a game at Michigan State in front of 85,000 — before switching to baseball for the Panthers.

Smith hit .347 — third-best average in the Prospect League — with 30 RBI for the BlueSox in 2010. He was drafted in the seventh round by the White Sox in 2011.