News & Observer | newsobserver.com | Overdose killed pitcher

Published: May 06, 2008 12:30 AM
Modified: May 06, 2008 03:00 AM

Overdose killed pitcher

Story Tools

Advertisements
A Georgia Tech pitcher died last month from an accidental drug overdose, the medical examiner's office said Monday, but it has not been determined if heroin was involved.

Michael Hutts, a 21-year-old pitcher for the Yellow Jackets, was the victim of accidental morphine toxicity, according to a statement from Fulton County's chief medical examiner, Randy Hanzlick.

Hutts' roommate was quoted in the police report as saying the pitcher was visited the night before his April 11 death by a friend who was known to use heroin, possibly with Hutts.

Heroin is processed from morphine, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the seed pod of certain varieties of poppy plants, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

"At present, there is insufficient information to determine which pill[s] or substance[s] may have been taken to account for the morphine detected in the autopsy samples," Hanzlick said in the statement.

Hutts was a management major who made Georgia Tech's dean's list last year.

MONDAY'S RESULTS

BASEBALL

DUKE 6-10, LONGWOOD 4-3: Nate Freiman homered and drove in two runs in the first game and followed with three walks and two runs in the second game to lead host Duke (33-14-1) to a sweep over Longwood (21-23).

Freiman went 2-for-4 with a double and his ninth home run of the season in the opener and reached base in four of his five plate appearances in the second game. His two-run blast in the first game broke open a 1-0 game.

All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be published, broadcast or redistributed in any manner.

Hosting Partners of
newsobserver.com

Member of the
Real Cities Network

A subsidiary of The McClatchy Company