Diggs confirms one last ride with Diamond Hogs next season

BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON

FAYETTEVILLE – One of Arkansas most beloved baseball players the past few years will be back for one more season.

Razorback outfielder Kendall Diggs, who played part of the past season with a torn labrum, announced via his Instagram Wednesday evening that he will be back next season.

“One More Ride,” noted Diggs, who will be one of only two full-time starting position players back on next season’s roster that could have up to 33 new faces.

Diggs, who was scheduled to have surgery this week, was an All-SEC pick in 2023 after hitting .299 with 12 home runs, a team-high 63 RBIs, 12 doubles and a triple.

He started out hot in 2024, but struggled after injuring his shoulder and finished with a .229 batting average, 7 homers and 34 RBIs.

Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn was hoping to get another season from Diggs, who he said could play in the outfield or infield if he returned.

“We’d love to have him back,” Van Horn noted in his post-season press conference on June 26. “He would have to miss all of Fall. I hope we have an opportunity to coach him next year. Because he can get back and play.”

Van Horn acknowledges Diggs was a different player after the injury.

“You look at Kendall’s year, the first 14 or 15 games of the year, he was hitting upper 300s. .380, .370, when he slid headfirst on a wet field or an over-watered field – whatever you want to call it,” Van Horn said.

“It was early in the game – and he kind of got stuck and he hurt that shoulder. We all kind of groaned in the dugout. We didn’t know it at the time. He shook it off.”

Van Horn praised Diggs’ toughness the rest of the season while playing hurt.

“You’ve got to give him credit,” Van Horn said. “How tough was he to play all year long with that injury? He hurt it a couple of more times throughout the season. He ran into the wall at Kentucky. There was another time he hurt it. He made diving catches.

“He just played through it. Hats off to him. It really hurt his offense.”

Photo courtesy of Razorbacks Communications