Signing day for a high school athlete is a memory that will likely last a lifetime, and Russellville senior baseball pitcher Gordon White had the opportunity to have that experience March 10.

White put pen to paper in front of a group of supporters at the RHS field house to make his plans to attend Millsaps College official. The Millsaps Majors are an NCAA Division III program located in Jackson, Miss., coached by Jim Page. The Majors are part of the Southern Athletic Association.

“This is the day that every kid dreams of whenever they start playing baseball; they dream of going to the next level,” White said. “There’s been a lot of hard work. The coaches, my parents and everybody has pushed me, and we made it.”

White said a family atmosphere immediately drew him to Millsaps. “The first visit that I went on down there, every single person just makes you feel like you’re a part of their family,” White said. “They are so kind, and everything about Millsaps is nice. Coach Page is a great guy, and he doesn’t want you to be just a good baseball player; he wants you to be a good man, too.”

Although the college is a few hours away, White will be rooming with another RHS athlete – Chandler Dyas, who finished his high school basketball playing career this year and is headed to Millsaps to continue playing hoops. “He talked to me about how good it felt down there and how they make you feel like family, and when I went down there, that’s exactly what you feel like,” White said.

“The first time I saw Gordon throw, I knew he had a chance to be a really good pitcher,” said Russellville head coach Chris Heaps. “The thing Gordon does so well is that he keeps himself out of trouble, and he trusts the defense behind him.”

Hard work and smarts have played key roles in the development of White’s game. “Having the IQ of a very high IQ baseball player has served him well,” Heaps explained. “He’s going to a school that has a very high academic rating.”

Before heading off to college, the right-handed pitcher and infielder on this season’s Russellville team said he has a goal of going to Montgomery for the state championship series and winning it all.