Sac State senior Justin Dillon doesn’t battle injuries anymore — just batters

The State Hornet


Sacramento State right-handed senior pitcher Justin Dillon pitches the ball towards home plate for the final out of a no-hitter against Northern Kentucky at John Smith Field on Feb. 23. (Photo by Matthew Dyer)
MLB scouts and fans packed the stands of John Smith Field to watch Sacramento State right-handed senior Justin Dillon pitch on March 9 against the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Professional scouts from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays sat behind home plate — along with a season-high attendance of 468 — pointing their radar guns towards the field in unison.
Prior to his fourth appearance of the season, Dillon (2-1) threw the first no-hitter in Sac State’s Division I history against Northern Kentucky on Feb. 23 in his second outing.
Dillon, who has a 1.24 ERA in 29 innings pitched, was named National Pitcher of the Week by several baseball publications — while also earning two Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week honors this year.
However, it hasn’t been an easy road for the Placerville native since joining the Hornets in 2012.
Dillon was drafted by the Colorado Rockies after his senior year at El Dorado High School, but opted to sign at Sac State instead. He then suffered an elbow injury during offseason preparation in the fall that required Tommy John surgery, which forced him to sit out the 2013 season.
“I threw a pitch, and I could feel something in my elbow,” Dillon said. “When I walked back to the dugout I knew something was wrong.”
Dillon went through rehabilitation exercises and worked on his throwing motions with a towel. Although being medically cleared to play, Dillon said he “felt off” during his return to the diamond the following year.
“I felt like my fastball could come out at 100 percent, but I didn’t feel like I knew where the ball was going,” Dillon said. “I got into ...

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