One of the best careers in Missouri State baseball history has come to a premature end.
Nick Petree, the only player to earn All-America honors in three seasons playing for the Bears, will not pitch again after suffering another tear to the ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching arm last season.
He pitched last season for the Springfield Cardinals and was a ninth-round pick in the 2013 MLB Draft.
“It was a decision that I made after talking to my family, talking about what was best for me,” Petree said on Monday. “It was a tough decision, I didn’t want to give up on playing, but I also knew it was going to be a year or more before I was able to get back on the mound and compete.