SPANISH FORT – Homeward bound. That’s how signing a baseball scholarship to the University of Southern Mississippi feels to Spanish Fort’s Jay Myrick.

“I still have a lot of family there. So it’s like going home,” he said. His parents moved from the Laurel area near Hattiesburg when he was five.

Myrick inked the papers at Spanish Fort High School April 29 and became the first NCAA , Division-I male athlete to sign for the Toros. The right hander played for four years, but missed a lot of innings due to elbow and shoulder injuries.

Spanish Fort baseball coach Tommy Walker had praise not only for Myrick’s athletic skills, but his determination to come back from two serious setbacks, both involving major surgery.

“I really can’t say enough about somebody like Jay who worked so hard and came so far,” Walker said. “The talents always been there for Jay, but with injuries, he’s had to dig down deep to overcome this — not once, but twice. He’s an outstanding person as well as a great athlete and we’re all very happy for him.”

Myrick had offers from major programs, but making the Southern Miss choice was not that hard.

“I’m really happy to go to a school like Southern Miss to play,” Myrick said. “I know that they’re really good because they’ve been to six straight regionals and they’re also my home town and I’ve always wanted to play for Southern Miss. So, that’s really why I made my decision.”

He said the USM coaching staff wants him to became a ‘Sunday’ starter, but will work with him on playing everyday as well.

“They mostly want me to be a pitcher,” Myrick said. “They said they want me to be a starter for them but they’re also going to give me a shot to play infield. I’m glad because I love infield.”

Clocked at 90 mph earlier this year, Myrick leaves the Toros with a 19-6 four-year record with six saves working 165 innings with 256 strikeouts.

Though twice interrupted in his career, he still holds the school record in games played, home runs with 21, wins and assists. He hit .310 and scored 124 runs and hit 30 doubles. He is an All-State and All-County selection and was also picked to play in the Alabama High School Athletic Association All-Star series.

“Jay has battled through a lot of tough times and he has come through a lot,” Toro Athletic Director Bryant Vincent, who coached Myrick in football, said. “He still came to all those practices when a lot of guys would have just gone home. He has meant a lot to this program.”

Myrick’s other offers including Mississippi State, South Alabama, Alabama, Samford and Southeastern Louisiana.

Myrick is undecided on an academic major. He is the son of Mike and Barbara Myrick of Spanish Fort.

Southern Miss head coach Corky Palmer who is losing two starters to graduation said on southernmiss.com, "Jay is a good athlete that could pitch and play infield for us at Southern Miss. He has a good fastball and curve ball and his high school numbers are solid from the plate as well."