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Kaiser Carlile, 9-Year-Old Bat Boy, Critical After Being Struck by Player's Swing

A witness said Kaiser Carlile was retrieving a bat when a Liberal Bee Jay's player taking practice swings hit him in the head in a tragic accident.
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A 9-year-old bat boy was in critical condition after getting hit in the head with a bat by a baseball player taking practice swings in Kansas, his team said.

The Liberal Bee Jays, an amateur baseball team, said Kaiser Carlile was wearing a helmet when he was struck during a game against the San Diego Waves in Wichita Saturday afternoon.

Kaiser Carlile
Kaiser CarlileTyler Wiedenfeld

A witness told NBC affiliate KSNW that the boy was running to bring back a bat after an out when he was hit by a batter taking a practice swing.

"The bat boy retrieved the other bat and he just ran right by him, and he was swinging, and it hit him in the helmet," Jim Parks told the station.

An umpire started giving first aid until first responders arrived. Kaiser was rushed to a hospital and is in critical condition, Bee Jays President Nathan McCaffrey said in a statement. "Please continue to pray and keep Kaiser and his family in your thoughts," he said.

The team was hoping for the best Saturday. A photo posted to Instagram showed Bee Jays players huddled in prayer after the accident.

"He is a tough little guy," team recruiting coordinator Roy Allen said. Carlile has been a bat boy for most of the team's season.

The Bee Jays, of Liberal, Kansas, were playing in Wichita as part of the National Baseball Congress World Series. Liberal is a town of about 20,000 located in the southwest part of the state.

Other teams sent out messages of support and prayers for Carlile and the Bee Jays.