Diamond Hogs lose two pitchers to season-ending injuries

Arkansas freshmen left-handers Colin Fisher and Hunter Dietz will miss the rest of the season , coach Dave Van Horn said.

Fisher will undergo elbow surgery. Van Horn said Fisher may undergo Tommy John surgery, though preliminary signs indicate Fisher’s elbow may not be quite that bad. He could have an internal brace operation, instead. That latter is preferred because of the shorter recovery time.

Fisher has been Arkansas’ de facto No. 4 starter this season, getting the nod in a majority of Arkansas’ midweek games. Through those contests, he finished with 2.67 earned-run average with 27 strikeouts in 27 innings with just eight walks.

Dietz, who had surgery in the fall on his elbow, will have to have another one. This one will cause him to miss up to six months. He pitched in just two games after returning from the initial surgery upon the elbow aggravating him again. Dietz ultimately pitched in just one overall inning.

Arkansas, ranked No. 5 in the nation, is preparing for the homestretch of the regular season. The Diamond Hogs are second in the SEC and close with Mississippi State and Texas A&M on consecutive weekends to end the year. The MSU series will be the home finale at Baum-Walker Stadium and starts Friday.