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College baseball player gets first career hit nearly 3 years after losing his leg
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
An emotional moment took place during ECU’s game against William and Mary on Friday night in Greenville, N.C.
Parker Byrd, who’s in his third season with the Pirates baseball program, was involved in a boating accident in July 2022 that led to his right leg being amputated. According to ESPN, he underwent 22 surgeries in the span of a month and a half.
Byrd, committed to the Pirates since his freshman year of high school, ultimately enrolled at ECU — his parents’ alma mater — and was eventually able to return to the field in 2024, making 2 plate appearances as the program honored his scholarship.
That brings us to Friday night’s game against the Tribe. After recording a sacrifice RBI earlier in the game, Byrd came up with a long-awaited first collegiate hit in the sixth inning to a rousing reception at Clark-LeClair Stadium. Here’s video of the moment:
ECU won the game 12-0 over the Tribe, but ultimately, that proved to be a footnote on a night that Byrd will remember for the rest of his life.
Some things are much bigger than sports, and Byrd’s story — especially considering everything he’s been through over the past 3 years — proves just that.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
