After a quick pit stop in Raymond, Michael Busby will head off for a second tour of duty in Division I baseball.

Busby, who starred at Porters Chapel Academy before spending two seasons at Mississippi State, signed a letter of intent last week to play at Alabama-Birmingham.

Busby lost his scholarship at Mississippi State after he tore his labrum in early March, then transferred to Hinds Community College over the summer. Busby and eight other Hinds sophomores — including former Vicksburg High star Tyler Wells — signed with four-year schools during the NCAA’s early signing period. They will play at Hinds in 2010, then move on to their four-year colleges for the 2011 season.

Busby only appeared in five games for MSU last season and received a medical redshirt. He will have three years of eligibility left at UAB, where he will rejoin the coach who originally recruited him to Starkville, Ron Polk. The longtime Mississippi State coach is now an assistant at UAB.

“It’s going to be nice to be with Coach Polk again,” Busby said. “And they recruited me as a hitter. The name of the school doesn’t matter if they’re giving me a chance to play every day.”

Busby earned the Vicksburg Post’s Player of the Year award in 2005 and 2007. In 2006, as a junior, he hit .504 and led Porters Chapel to the MPSA Class A championship. He went to Mississippi State and appeared in 19 games as a freshman relief pitcher, going 1-4 with a 5.84 ERA. He also got into three games as a shortstop — the position he played in high school when he wasn’t pitching — and went 2-for-2 with a game-winning RBI single against Tennessee.

All of the promise of his freshman season disappeared, though, in 2009. He struggled early in the year as his shoulder started to ache. Polk had retired after the 2008 season, and Busby quickly fell out of favor with new coach John Cohen. After allowing three runs in a third of an inning against South Alabama on March 24, Busby was shut down for the season. He had surgery to repair the torn labrum, and Cohen pulled his scholarship over the summer.

“It is disappointing. But he’s doing what he has to do. And with my arm not being healthy, he doesn’t know if I can pitch or not,” Busby said.

After leaving Starkville, Hinds coach Sam Temple recruited Busby to the junior college in Raymond. Busby jumped at the chance to continue his college career and be closer to his doctors. By transferring to a junior college, Busby will also be able to continue playing instead of having to sit out a season. He will have two years of eligibility left when he gets to UAB.

The torn labrum is the second major injury Busby has suffered to his throwing arm in five years. He had Tommy John surgery to repair a torn elbow ligament in 2005. He said he’d like to continue pitching, though, and wasn’t worried about his history of arm trouble.

“So far the rehab process is going good. I’m not thinking about the past injuries, I’m just going forward,” Busby said.

Busby was one of nine Hinds players to sign with four-year schools this week. The list includes Wells, who transferred to Hinds from Ole Miss in 2007. Wells left school last year for personal reasons, but has returned this year. He and pitcher Matt Gannon both signed with Division II Southwestern Oklahoma State.

Pitchers Fraser Adams and Brent Gay, along with infielder Jason Hicks, all signd with Louisiana-Monroe. Right-handed pitcher and outfielder Ryan Nance will join Busby at UAB, while pitcher Justin Brodnax signed with Southeastern Louisiana. Right-handed pitcher Hunter Thompson signed with Jackson State.

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Contact Ernest Bowker at ebowker@vicksburgpost.com