Robinson Ready to Hit the Diamond

Errol Robinson went undrafted earlier this month, but that’s fine with the Ole Miss baseball signee. His plans all along were to play for the Rebels.

Errol Robinson
Photo courtesy of Scout.com

“To be honest with you, I anticipated it,” Robinson said of not being drafted. “I was asking for a really high number. I think the scouts expected me to go to school, and that’s fine. It was really a win-win situation. Going to school obviously is a great thing. Going to get a degree and play baseball for three years, four years at a great school.

“It was disappointing not hearing your name called, but it was something I expected. Now I’m just going to go do my best in college.”

Robinson is a 5-foot-11, 175-pound shortstop from Boyds, Md., and St. John’s College High School. Ole Miss returns starting shortstop Austin Anderson. The senior could play another position in the infield.

Robinson, though preferring shortstop, said he wants to come in and play right away – anywhere the coaches believe he can help.

“To be honest, whatever it takes for us to win, I’ll be glad to play,” he said. “That’s what I’ll do.”

One way he intends to make certain he’s on the field for the Rebels in 2014 is by getting stronger.

“When I get there I plan to immediately hit the weight room, to get bigger and to be able to drive balls more,” he said. “I’m a gap to gap hitter now. But hopefully when a pitcher makes a mistake in a clutch situation, I’ll be able to drive those balls out. I’m not a home run hitter, but I plan to make power a part of my future.”

At the plate Robinson can be productive. In the field, now that’s his forte’.

“What I bring now is solid defense,” he said. “I had a good year this year. I had just three errors in 107 chances. I plan to go down there and continue great defense, be great behind the pitcher, get us out of jams with clutch double plays and taking away base hits.”

Robinson has spent some time playing baseball this month, even with only a few weeks between high school graduation and his arrival at Ole Miss.

“I’ve been playing for a wood bat league, the Cal Ripken League,” he said. “I’ve been playing with them, and when I get there to Oxford, it will be summer school and lifting, things like that.”

Robinson hit .325 during his senior season of high school.

“But I didn’t have the year that I wanted, coming off a .400 year my junior year,” he said. “I led the conference last year, and it wasn’t what I expected (this season), coming off a strong summer.”

So he heads to Ole Miss with working to improve his game on his mind and to also be a factor his freshman season. And it all starts for him and many of his new teammates in just a few days.

“Ole Miss is right around the corner now, and that’s something to be very excited about,” Robinson said. “I’ll be there the 27th of June. Classes start the 28th. My roommate is Corey Baptist. I’ve talked to him a lot, and we’re really close. J.B. Woodman is a good guy, and I’ve gotten to know him. Colby Bortles, Dalton Dulin. I’ve gotten pretty close to several of them. I’m really excited to get down there and get to know everybody else. I think it’s a really good group.”

Robinson has strong Ole Miss and Oxford ties. He just missed being in the baseball program with his sister. Jolie Robinson graduated in May from Ole Miss in broadcast journalism. She was a diamond girl for the baseball Rebels.

Robinson’s maternal grandparents live in Oxford. His mother, Vicki Hairston Robinson, grew up in Oxford and attended Ole Miss. His father, Fred, attended both Ole Miss and Southern Miss.

Robinson loves the fit and the fact that he believes he can help Ole Miss win baseball games.

“It’s all very exciting. It’s great knowing the decision is final, and that the draft is over,” he said. “I get to focus on my (Ole Miss) team and coaches and fans. I just want to go out there and battle to get the job done.” — Jeff Roberson, OMSpirit.com