CHICAGO — When Kevan Smith wakes each morning, a smile quickly blooms on his face.

“I'm in the big leagues now,” Smith said.

And the Seneca Valley graduate and Chicago White Sox catcher wants to stay there.

Smith hit his first major league home run Monday against Baltimore starting pitcher Wade Miley and went 3-for-4 Thursday afternoon against the Orioles to raise his average to .250 this season.

Smith is 5-for-7 in his last two games.

“The home run was a pretty surreal moment,” Smith said. “I was starting to think, 'Man, is it ever going to happen?' I've hit plenty in the minors.”

The homer to center at U.S. Cellular Field came on Smith's first swing of the game.

And his first swing with a new model of bat.

“I was joking I need to order four dozen more of those bats,” Smith said. “And then I get three hits (Thursday). Maybe it's not a bad idea.

“It was awesome to see all the calls and texts and all the love and support,” Smith added. “It shows who's following you and how much people care about how you're doing.”

Smith has the home run ball, thanks to an observant fan and Orioles' center fielder Adam Jones.

The fan tossed the ball onto the field and Jones collected it.

When Jones came up to the plate for his next at-bat, he told Smith, “Hey, I got the ball for you.”

“It's a day I'll never forget,” Smith said.

It was a long road to the majors for the 28-year-old Smith, a Cranberry Township native who opted to play football at the University of Pittsburgh out of high school instead of baseball.

He started three games for the Panthers at quarterback, but eventually realized football was no longer the sport for him.

Smith shifted his attention back to baseball and was a star at Pitt behind the plate. He also spent a summer with the Butler BlueSox in the Prospect League.

The White Sox selected him in the seventh round of the 2011 draft.

He's the only one of the 50 players selected by the White Sox in that draft still with the organization.

“So many people ask me what I did to stay in baseball for so long,” Smith said. “I just think I never put baseball on a high pedestal. It's very important, but it's just one piece of my life. There are other things that are important to me. My family obviously, and my marriage.

“Zach Duggan (former Seneca Valley teammate and classmate) still says to me from time to time, 'I can't believe you're still playing baseball,'” Smith added.

Smith plugged away for six years in the minors before he finally reached the majors.

While warming up before what was to be his major league debut April 25 of last year, Smith experienced back spasms and was scratched from the starting lineup and was placed on the 15-day disabled list.

Then White Sox manage Robin Ventura saved the lineup card with Smith's name scrawled on it for Smith — just in case.

It took him five more months to get back to the big club as a September call-up.

“I always knew that as long as I could get healthy, I could get back again and that I would get another shot,” Smith said. “It was disappointing. We all have stories. We've all been through a lot. But when that happens, it takes all the wind out of you. I was grateful for the White Sox for giving me another shot.”

Smith had a solid spring training, but was sent to Triple-A to start this season.

He was called up in mid-April and stayed in the majors for eight days, going 1-for-11 in three game played, before he was sent down again.

He hit .377 with 15 RBI in 14 games at Triple-A Charlotte.

When White Sox every-day catcher Geovany Soto was injured again, Smith was recalled May 10 and has been up ever since.

“Any player that has success at Triple-A, they believe they belong with a big league team,” Smith said. “Unfortunately, a lot of those guys don't get an opportunity. An injury opened up an opportunity for me and I'm very grateful.”

Soto has been one of Smith's biggest supporters. The veteran catcher, who has spent 13 seasons in the majors, has become a mentor for Smith and Omar Narvaez, the other rookie catcher on the White Sox active roster.

“Every day he tells me how happy he is for me that I'm up here,” Smith said. “I'm learning a lot from him. Me and Omar are rookies. We're still new to this and we're trying to be like sponges.”

Smith is also excited in being on a team chasing the postseason.

Even though Chicago is 29-36 and in last place in the American League Central division, the White Sox are only six games out.

No one in the division is running away with it.

“We have a good squad,” Smith said. “We have a lot of talent. We're going to keep growing together.”

Smith hopes to keep growing as a player.

And to keep smiling every morning when he wakes.

“You think about being in the majors every day,” Smith said. “When you're in the low minors, you're kind of naive about the whole thing. But you keep working and keep pushing. Then you go out and play and you try to treat it like you're playing at Cranberry Township community park.”