Ben Diggins Named to Arizona Sports Hall of Fame

UA baseball alum Ben Diggins was named to the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame. 

Diggins was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the first round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft, but did not sign and elected to attend the University of Arizona. 

Diggins was named a Baseball America Freshman All-American in 1999 and a consensus All-American as a sophomore in 2000.

He was a two-way player for the Wildcats as both a hitter and a pitcher.

As a pitcher, he posted a 10-4 record on the mound with a 3.83 ERA and 127 strikeouts across 112 2/3 innings pitched. At the plate, Diggins hit .336 at the plate with nine home runs and 34 RBI. 

In the summer of 1999, he led the USA National Baseball team with a 2.05 ERA and three saves. 

Diggins was selected in round one again in the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft where he signed with the Dodgers. 

In his first professional season in 2001, Diggins posted a 3.58 ERA with 79 strikeouts across 21 starts for Class-A Wilmington. He was promoted to Class-A Advanced Vero Beach the following year where he posted a 3.63 ERA across 20 appearances (19 starts).

In July of 2022, Diggins was traded to the Brewers. He closed that year with Double-A Huntsville where he posted a 1.91 ERA across seven starts. He posted a combined 3.20 ERA across 151 2/3 innings that year between his starts for Class-A Advanced Vero Beach and Double-A Huntsville.

Diggins made his MLB debut with the Brewers on September 2, 2002. He allowed eight runs (seven earned) across 1 1/3 innings against the Cubs. Diggins posted an 8.62 ERA across five starts that year. 

Diggins opened the following year in 2003 back with Double-A Huntsville before he tore the UCL ligament in his elbow which led to him having to undergo Tommy John surgery. 

He was selected by the Houston Astros in the 2005 Rule 5 Draft, but he was released before he made an appearance for them. He later signed with the Independent Windy City Thunderbolts of the Frontier League where he became a first baseman. He appeared in 17 games before he retired from professional baseball. 

Diggins became the 62nd Arizona baseball player to be inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame.