Calif. Teen Hit by Baseball Clings to Life

(CBS/ AP)  A Northern California high school baseball player is clinging to life after a line drive hit his head during a practice game.

Sixteen-year-old Gunnar Sandberg remained in critical condition Tuesday at Marin General Hospital.

He is a student at Marin Catholic High School in Kentfield. Educators there say Sandberg was removed from a medically induced coma on Friday and underwent a brain scan Monday because doctors didn't see progress.

Sandberg's father, Bjorn, told Anna Duckworth of CBS station KPIX that the results of exiting the coma were not what they hoped for and the situation remains grave.

The family is now awaiting results of a new brain scan, Duckworth reports.

He was hit by the baseball March 11 while pitching during a practice game against Concord's De La Salle High School.

His injury has renewed concerns about the safety of metal baseball bats.

Marin Catholic Principal Chris Valdez says players on the school team will switch to wooden bats for the rest of the season.

[MsPittsburgh]

Are you that ignorant?????????

[daveconstitution1]

May 8, 1956. St.James parochial grade school in Belvidere, IL., lunch hour. Fifth grade through 8th grade boys were playin softball on a softball diamond as they did every nice day. My brother Jim, 12 yrs. old was waiting to bat and leaning against the backstop watching the hitter. Another student threw a softball (not a baseball) to another student whi missed it and it hit my brother in the temple. The fact he was leaning against the backstop gave his head no room to give, and he suffered a skull fracturem blood clots and died May 9th. After that batting helmuts were added to little and pony leagues where they weren't required before. A ball off a bat is deadly but a rarity. I pray for him and his family

[rwsmith29456]

Caused by metal baseball bats? The term "play hardball" didn't come from nowhere. I think they should soften up the balls a little. Will that affect the game? Probably. But both teams use the same balls. Meanwhile, my heart goes out to this young man and his family.

[billyc555]

Yeah, metal bats? It first states in the article that he was hit by a "line drive". thats the "ball".

[Farver4girls]

I will be praying for this young man.

[hateisafourletterword]

I hope he is OK. Sounds really bad though.

And what is truly sad is we spend more time on the gay student in Alabama's issue and little time on life and death issues. That is truly a sad statement on where we are as a society today.