The first time Kealon Bass can remember playing baseball, he was 7 or 8 years old at the park on Mission 66.

“I started when I was around 7 or 8. I was just on the street playing with a tennis ball. I went out to the Mission one day,” Bass said. “Chris Green’s dad came over, and ever since then I’ve been playing with him.”

Fast forward about a decade, and Bass is still playing — and will still be playing for a while longer. The recently-graduated Vicksburg High player signed with Southwest Mississippi Community College on Tuesday.

“I feel like it was a great fit for me. I can get better,” Bass said.

Bass picked Southwest Mississippi over an offer from Southern University-New Orleans, where his friend and teammate Chris Green recently signed.

Bass batted .271 for the Gators this season, with 14 RBIs and 16 runs scored. He also stole 11 bases. He played second base, third base and shortstop, and said Southwest Mississippi wants him to play a similar utility role for them.

Bass also played basketball for Vicksburg High, which he said helped him with baseball. The quick, lateral moves needed on the basketball court helped him become a solid fielder on the baseball diamond.

“I can move real well. I play basketball, so I’m able to do stuff people can’t do and use it on the baseball field,” Bass said.

While Bass continued to play basketball for the Gators — he averaged 8.1 points per game last season — he said baseball was his first sports love and the game he saw a potential future in.

“I just love the way you compete in the game and get better. It’s a great game,” he said.

And now, a decade after he first picked up a ball on the Mission and played in the Fuzzy Johnson League, he’s headed to the next level.

“It happened real fast. Time flies,” Bass said. “I’m blessed with the opportunity. I’ve got to keep working, keep going from this day forward.”