SPRINGFIELD – Donning a slightly different uniform, dressed in a suit, conspicuously missing a ball cap, former Rebel baseball star Jason Mock stood at halfcourt Friday night and waved to his Effingham County High School family as the latest member of the ECHS Athletic Hall of Fame.

Earlier in the evening, Mock celebrated his honor at the school before being introduced to the crowd at halftime of the boys basketball game between the Rebels and Glynn Academy.

“It means a lot to me. I’ve been an Effingham boy since I was little so it was great to get that call,” Mock said during an interview earlier in the week.

Mock, 38, an assistant baseball coach at East Georgia State College, graduated high school in 2002. He played baseball for ECHS for four years, football for three and grappled with wrestling as well.

But baseball was his passion and he was a Rebels leader on the diamond, accumulating a career .457 batting average with 20 home runs and 76 RBI.

Mock, a center fielder, made the all-region team his final three years and as a senior played in the state postseason all-star game before ultimately signing a scholarship with Brewton-Parker College.

Mock’s 2000 team, coached by another Rebels Hall of Famer, Jim Simmons, won a region championship.

Locally, Mock has been involved in youth travel baseball with Full Throttle Baseball and Five Star Baseball Savannah.

Mock said Simmons, who passed away last year, has been a big influence on his career.

“There were times when I was a hot head in high school and for (Simmons) to have the patience with me, I’ll always be grateful,” Mock said. “I want to have that impact. I want people to say coach Mock impacted (my) life, (he wasn’t) just a guy who taught them to throw a fastball.”