College baseball player makes historic debut with prosthetic leg: 'My dream was to get back on the field'

East Carolina University Baseball player Parker Byrd makes D1 debut after leg amputation replaced with prosthetic leg 

A college baseball player received a standing ovation for his Division I debut after undergoing a leg amputation. 

East Carolina University's Parker Byrd joined "America's Newsroom" Wednesday to share how he's continued to work hard on and off the field and refused to give up on his dreams. 

"Just getting back in that box was really key to everybody, just to prove to people that I'm still here," he told hosts Dana Perino and Bill Hemmer. 

EAST CAROLINA SOPHOMORE BECOMES FIRST COLLEGE BASEBALL PLAYER TO COMPETE WITH PROSTHETIC LEG

The sophomore became the first person to play in a D-1 baseball game with a prosthetic leg. 

Byrd expressed his gratitude to his physical therapists, coaches, teammates and family for being there for him during the long recovery after a boat accident resulted in him losing a part of his right leg.

Byrd said his parents and sisters were there for him at the hospital each day of his recovery and his sisters moved to be closer to him because they knew his dream was to get back on the field. 

"Just very thankful and blessed to have them in my life and to get to call them family," said the native of Laurinburg, N.C. 

Byrd's coach called his return to the diamond the proudest moment of his life. 

"He's had a great career, so being the proudest moment of his life is really cool," he said.

East Carolina head coach Cliff Godwin during a game between the Houston Cougars and the East Carolina Pirates at Lewis Field at Clark LeClair Stadium in Greenville, NC on April 29, 2018. Houston defeated ECU 6-5. (Greg Thompson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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