LAGRANGE – It was a big day for Tyler Harris.

Harris, a Manchester High graduate, has signed a letter of intent to play college baseball at Alabama Southern, and he’ll be a part of that team when the season begins in February.

While Harris played his high-school ball in Manchester, the looks he got from colleges came about largely because of the work he did while playing for travel teams in the Game On organization.

Last week, a signing ceremony for Harris was held at the LaGrange Game On facility.

His parents Debbie and Mark, his girlfriend Abby Anthony, along with Game On instructors Shannon Snyder and Donnie Branch were there to share the moment with him.

Snyder is the director of the LaGrange chapter of Game On, and Branch is the director of operations.

“It’s amazing,” Harris said of the opportunity to play college baseball. “I’m actually the first member of my family to go to college. So it’s a big deal to not only go to college, but to sign a full ride to play a sport I love. It’s a life-long dream. I always wanted to play college ball.”

Harris has played for Game On teams for the past two years, and Branch said he really took off when he started throwing with a side-arm motion.

Branch, the long-time LaGrange High coach who has been with Game On since last year, said it was Snyder who made the decision to make Harris a side-armer.

“Shannon said why don’t we make him a side-armer, and then he gave him to me,” Branch said. “We dropped him down, which made him a prospect. His velocity from up here isn’t good enough, but the deception from down here is good enough.”

Harris decided to join the Game On organization because he felt it would help him have a better chance of landing a baseball scholarship.

“It’s meant a lot,” Harris said. “Shannon, he puts you in the right place at the right time. You just have to execute.”

Reach Kevin Eckleberry at (706) 884-7311 or on Twitter @lagrangesports