Arkansas freshman pitcher Hunter Dietz likely to miss start of season
Arkansas freshman left-handed pitcher Hunter Dietz had a minor procedure done after fall ball and he is unlikely to be available for the start of the 2024 season, a source told HawgBeat.
According to a source, Dietz has been throwing but they are moving forward with caution as much as possible.
Dietz drew high praise from Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn following a successful fall showing that resulted in him striking out 13 batters and walking eight across 8.0 innings pitched, according to stats compiled by Arkansas media. He only allowed two hits in 25 at-bats — the lowest on the team.
During the Fall Classic on Sept. 15, Dietz faced the minimum and struck out one batter during his one inning of work.
"Dietz was awfully good again," Van Horn said after the Fall Classic. "His velocity is good, it’s already increased since he’s been here. And you can kind of see what we’re seeing, that there’s going to be a lot of competition to get on the mound."
Van Horn also mentioned Nov. 30 that Dietz is one of three freshmen who have starting potential, along with Gabe Gaeckle and Tate McGuire. Dietz is still expected to play a significant role on this year's pitching staff.
The 6-foot-6, 230-pound lefty has ace potential at some point in his Arkansas career after putting together a 9-0 record as a senior with a 1.47 ERA and 102 strikeouts in 57 innings for Calvary Christian High School in Trinity, Florida. Dietz was ranked as the No. 58 overall prospect in the 2023 class according to Perfect Game.
Opening Day for the Razorbacks is Friday, Feb. 16, when James Madison comes to town for a four-game series at Baum-Walker Stadium in Fayetteville. First pitch of the season is set for 3 p.m. CT.