ECU baseball player who lost leg in boating accident makes historic debut

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- It's been a long road back for East Carolina baseball player Parker Byrd.

As an incoming member of East Carolina University's baseball team, he suffered serious injuries in a July 2022 boating accident.

He lost part of his right leg and then endured 22 surgeries.

On Friday, Opening Day for college baseball, Byrd, now a sophomore, became the first Division I college baseball player to participate in a game with a prosthetic leg.

His family was there to witness Byrd's historic debut with the Pirates.

Byrd drew a walk in his pinch at-bat and the Pirates went on to beat Rider 16-2 before a Clark-LeClair Stadium Opening Day record crowd of 5,221 fans.