Overview
- A ball hit 12-year-old Xavier Taylor during pregame warmups on Tuesday, May 26, he collapsed on the field and was airlifted to Cooper University Hospital in Camden.
- Xavier remains in very critical condition on a ventilator, his father has given limited daily updates and family members have held vigils near the field and hospital.
- Accounts vary on whether the ball struck Xavier’s neck, head, or face and on whether he experienced cardiac arrest, and hospital officials have released only sparse medical details.
- The Maple Shade Baseball Association filed formal incident reports with Babe Ruth League headquarters and Maple Shade Township police and has adjusted its season schedule for older divisions while reviews proceed.
- The community has rallied with candles, a 'Bats Out for X' campaign, organized meals and fundraisers that organizers say have raised tens of thousands of dollars, providing financial and practical support to the family.