First Division I baseball player with a prosthetic leg makes his debut for East Carolina
A college sophomore made history Friday night as the first athlete with a prosthetic leg to play in an NCAA Division I baseball game.
A college sophomore made history Friday night as the first athlete with a prosthetic leg to play in an NCAA Division I baseball game.
East Carolina University’s Parker Byrd, 20, drew a walk in his season-opening first appearance at the plate against New Jersey’s Rider University.
Byrd was injured in a July 23, 2022, boating accident in a creek near the Pamlico River when the propeller damaged both legs, which ultimately required the partial amputation of one, according to ECU.
Byrd has credited paramedics for rushing to the scene and saving his life. “It’s really the people along the way that have helped me,” he said after Friday’s game, according to NBC affiliate WITN of Greenville, where ECU is located.
The standout pitcher from Scotland High School received a scholarship to play for his parents’ alma mater, but his freshman year was dedicated to a recovery that included 22 surgeries, according to ECU and the Challenged Athletes Foundation.
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