In his brief career at Porters Chapel Academy, Michael Busby has made a name for himself as one of the best baseball players in Mississippi.

It turns out, other people around the country are taking notice too.

Busby, a shortstop and pitcher for PCA, was selected as a first-team preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball newspaper and Louisville Slugger. He is one of five players from Mississippi, and 109 in the country, to receive the honor.

The other Mississippians on the first team were Northwest Rankin pitcher Todd McInnis, Hillcrest outfielder Justin Reed, and Southeast Lauderdale utility player Tyler McMullen.

Clinton first baseman Alan Harris and New Hope pitcher Garrett Harris were among 75 players nationwide picked to the second team.

&#8220I wasn’t expecting anything like that. It’s kind of a nice surprise. It makes you feel better,” said Busby, who hit .488 in 2005, and also went 5-0 with a 0.44 ERA as a pitcher. He was picked to the All-America team as a multi-position player. &#8220It makes you feel good that people haven’t given up on you just because you had surgery.”

That surgery was the dreaded &#8220Tommy John” surgery, which Busby underwent last summer to replace a damaged elbow ligament. He suffered the injury late in the regular season, but continued to play shortstop for PCA through the playoffs.

Busby started throwing again last fall, but rushed the rehab program a bit and isn’t as strong as he would like. As a result, he’ll be in PCA’s lineup at shortstop for the season-opener against Prairie View on Feb. 20, but will not pitch until at least a couple weeks into the season.

&#8220I’m not going to rush anything with his arm,” PCA coach Randy Wright said. &#8220My hope is he’s 100 percent when we start the playoffs. It’s way more important to have him then, than to have him in February.”

Busby said it’s hard not to cut loose during his rehab sessions. Last week, he launched a ball from third base to the right field wall, drawing both a smile and concern from Wright.

&#8220I definitely want to throw as hard as I can and see how I compare to last year,” said Busby said. &#8220It feels like I’m not doing all I can when I don’t throw as hard as I can.”

There will be plenty of time for that later in the spring, when he’ll have a chance to wow even more scouts and recruiters.

Busby’s appearance on the mound in the 2004 Academy-A finals drew a horde of coaches, most of whom pointed radar guns in his direction and marveled at the freshman’s 90 mph fastball.

He earned the Vicksburg Post’s Player of the Year award last season, when he racked up 63 strikeouts and allowed only two earned runs in just 29 innings before his injury.

The All-America honor is just the latest in a line of accolades for the junior right-hander, a line that is sure to continue in his final two seasons of high school ball.

None of it seems to go to Bubsy’s head, though. Rather than rest on his laurels, he feels the need to prove that he deserves them every time he steps on the field.

&#8220It makes me work harder, because I don’t want to let anybody down,” Busby said. &#8220I don’t want somebody to come in here and say ‘He’s an All-American? He’s not showing it to me.’”