15-Year-Old Player Dies After Being Struck by Baseball

A 15-year-old baseball player died after being hit by a ball during a game in Bemidji, Minnesota.

Zacharie Schaubhut was pitching in the pick-up game played at Bemidji High School and collapsed after being struck by the ball hit by the batter.

The Bemidji Ambulance Service arrived at the school soon after Schaubhut collapsed, and he was taken to Sanford Bemidji Medical Center. According to his grandfather, Schaubhut was then transported to a Fargo hospital where he later died. Schaubhut’s family is unsure of the direct cause of his death and whether it was related to the hit. Doctors have not ruled out the possibility of an aneurysm.

The accident has shaken up Schaubhut’s teammates, and Bemidji Youth Baseball president Bruce Dahlin said the team met on Sunday to honor their fallen teammate.

“Those kids are sure reeling at this point in time because he was a very wonderful kid,” said Dahlin.

When asked whether safety changes would be made to Bemidji Youth Baseball such as discussing game safety or wearing new protective equipment, Dahlin said the league is waiting to hear more details about the accident before making any decisions.

“We don’t know what happened exactly. We’d like to be proactive just as anybody else would, but in this case we almost have to be a little reactive to what happens. When we do get to that point, we’ll determine what happens at that point.”