Arkansas’ Hunter Dietz, now fully healthy after he was plagued by injuries throughout the first two years of his collegiate career, has emerged as the Razorbacks’ certified Friday night ace and as one of the top left-handed pitchers in all of college baseball during his redshirt sophomore campaign. Through 14 starts on the mound this season, the Trinity, Fla., native boasts a 7-3 record with a 3.32 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and an SEC-leading 117 strikeouts in 78 2/3 innings of work.
Dietz, who has turned in a team-leading nine quality starts to go along with his three double-digit strikeout performances, is knocking on the door of the program’s top 10 for single-season strikeouts. The left-hander, whose 44 strikeouts looking lead the league and 13.39 strikeouts per nine innings rank second as of May 18, was the first SEC pitcher this season to eclipse the 100-strikeout mark on the year.