Jeremiah Robinson-Earl Tosses First Pitch at Royals Game
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl threw the first pitch at the Kansas City Royals’ series-opener against the Dodgers on Saturday night.
The Villanova product had a successful rookie campaign with the Thunder, and Oklahoma City’s brass seem to be excited about his potential. The rising sophomore averaged 7.5 points and 5.6 rebounds while cashing in on 35.2% of his triples. His potential pairing with the No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren is an exciting possibility as the front court of the future.
Robinson-Earl is a Kansas local, as he was born in Kansas City and spent his first three years of high school at Bishop Miege in Roeland Park, Kansas. His best season at Bishop Miege was his junior year, as JRE dominated, pouring in 21.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. He started every single game over his three-year high school career in Kansas, leading his team to three straight state championships.
After winning his third state championship, Robinson-Earl transferred to IMG Academy to finish out his high school career. JRE capped off his time in Kansas with three rings and a 66-9 record.
He was a consensus five star recruit thanks to his winning pedigree and elite potential. According to ESPN, Robinson-Earl was the No. 14 player in the country. He could’ve stayed close, as he held an offer from the Kansas Jayhawks, but opted to attend Villanova. It worked out well for JRE, who was the Big East’s co-Player of the Year and was selected by the Thunder in the early second round.
Robinson-Earl clearly still has a love for his hometown and the Royals, as he took over the diamond this week. Incredibly enough, the basketball star mentioned it was his first baseball action since first grade.
Robinson-Earl will enter training camp with a shot to take over a starting spot in Oklahoma City and a chance to integrate himself into the future core.
