During the SEC Tournament, Arkansas’ ace right-hander Hunter Dietz was forced to leave the mound when a sharply hit comebacker slammed into his foot at roughly 105 mph. The ball, off the bat of Casey Borba, ricocheted back toward the mound and caught Dietz just as he was delivering a pitch.
Coach Dave Van Horn and trainer Corey Wood quickly attended to the pitcher, who limped off the field under his own power. Relief pitcher Steele Eaves entered with two outs, runners on first and second, and worked to contain the damage.
The incident comes at a critical juncture for the Razorbacks, who are preparing for the NCAA Tournament. Dietz has been the staff’s most reliable arm since mid-April, posting a 7-3 record and a 3.32 ERA, a performance that earned him first-team All-SEC honors.
Injury Concerns Mount for Razorbacks
Medical staff have scheduled an x-ray at the ballpark to determine the extent of the injury, a step that could influence the team’s pitching rotation as the postseason approaches.
This is not the first setback for Arkansas in the tournament; earlier, designated hitter Kuhio Aloy suffered a hamate bone fracture during a win over Tennessee. The cumulative injuries have left the coaching staff evaluating depth options heading into the next round.