SPRINGFIELD — Taylor Rigdon and Josh Bassett are set to deliver some pitching punch for East Georgia State College.

The NJCAA Bobcats received national letters of intent from the Effingham County teammates May 19.

“Their representation of our baseball program and our school is as good as it gets,” Rebels coach Chris Johnson said during a signing ceremony in the Effingham County gym lobby.

Rigdon and Bassett have been great friends since the fourth grade and are exciting about the opportunity to continue their college careers together.

“I asked (Bassett) a year ago — wouldn’t it be crazy if we went to college together? — and it worked out,” Rigdon said.

Ridgon agreed to attend East Georgia about a month after Bassett.

“(East Georgia) asked me about (Rigdon) first — I didn’t mention him — and I told them he was a great kid and that he would work hard,” Bassett said.

Johnson shared with the audience some interesting recollections about the future Bobcats.

“Josh — he came up to me the first time I met him —  his hair is always sticking up all over the place,” he said. “It is never combed, never nice and neat. He walks in every morning just like he got off the pillow, walks right into the office and puts his stuff down like he is ready to go to sleep, but he comes in ready to go.

“And then ‘Rigs’ always walks in like a rooster. That hair is always sitting on top of his head like (a comb) on a rooster.”

Johnson said it was a pleasure to be around Rigdon and Bassett because of their pleasant demeanor.

He said, “But I can tell you when both of them step on the field and step on the bump on the pitcher’s mound, all that goes away and it is one hundred percent serious trying to do what is best for their team, and trying to be the best they can be on the pitcher’s mound. I think East Georgia is very lucky to be getting these two young men.”