Seminoles seek starter pitcher as Tyler Holton undergoes surgery
Florida State’s hopes of reaching its second straight College World Series suffered a significant blow after the first weekend of the season.
All-American lefty pitcher Tyler Holton suffered a torn UCL and will undergo season-ending surgery today, the school announced on Wednesday.
“Tyler is a fine young man and we’re all disappointed at this setback in his career,” longtime Florida State coach Mike Martin said. “He’s doing the best thing right now. We’ll be there for him and help guide him through the rehab process, but as a team, we have to keep moving forward on our goals for this season.”
Holton, a junior, was a first-team All-American in 2017, leading the Seminoles with a 10-3 record and 144 strikeouts last season.
Holton suffered the injury during FSU’s opening day victory over Xavier. He left the game in the fifth inning with what Martin described as “tightness” after the game. Holton had six strikeouts, and surrendered just a walk and one hit before leaving the game.
Now, the Seminoles are tasked with replacing their ace starter who was slated to start on Fridays.
Junior righty Cole Sands and sophomore lefty Drew Parrish will likely move up in FSU’s rotation this season.
FSU (4-0) hosts Troy for a weekend series beginning Friday, with Martin 28 victories shy of breaking the NCAA all-time wins record.