Social Circle’s Luke Smith signed his national letter of intent (NLI) on Thursday to play college baseball for Gordon State.

Smith, who is a pitcher and first baseman for the Redskins, made the signing official in Social Cicle’s media center in front of family, friends, coaches and teammates.

Following the signing, Smith discussed his emotions on his signing day.

“I am super excited,” Smith said. “I am thankful for all the people that have put in time to help me out.”

Factors such as location and the presence of a few familiar faces played into Smith’s decision to play for the Highlanders next spring.

“One of the main things [about Gordon State] was the location. It is only an hour away, and I wanted to stay close,” Smith said. “I also know a couple of guys down there. There are actually two that graduated from here that are there now.”

Smith is going to join former Redskins Jason Ball (class of 2022) and Mason Moore (class of 2023) on the Gordon State baseball team.

For Social Circle head coach Kevin Dawkins, Smith is viewed as the epitome of what a Redskins ballplayer should be.

“He is everything that embodies being a Social Circle baseball player,” Dawkins said. “He comes in everyday and does what he asks. He works hard and is just a great teammate. He cares about his teammates, he is not one of those athletes that is self centered and only cares about himself.”

Looking ahead, Smith has his eyes set on a big senior season.

In December, Smith was named to the preseason First Team All-State for Class A-Division I. 

In 2023, Smith pitched 59 innings with a 1.3 earned run average. He struck out 87 batters and allowed an .152 opponent batting average.

However, one of the main things Smith is looking forward to the most is the opportunity to play alongside his lifelong friends for one more season in a Redskins jersey.

“It is really just the opportunity to play with everyone that I go to school with one more time,” Smith said. “I will get to play with some in college, but it won’t be the same guys that I grew up playing with. I am just glad to have one more year with them.”