MAPLE SHADE — Xavier Taylor, a 12-year-old player with Maple Shade Youth Baseball, was struck in the neck by a baseball during pregame warmups at Fellowship Columbia Bank Field on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. After being hit, he collapsed on the field and went into cardiac arrest.
Greg Taylor, Xavier’s father and a retired firefighter, rushed to help his son immediately. He later described the incident to CBS Philadelphia: "An unpredicted ball got loose from one of the players and struck him in his neck and he collapsed on the ground." Greg Taylor characterized the event as a freak accident and stated that no one is to blame.
Xavier was airlifted to Cooper University Hospital in Camden and has remained in the intensive care unit since the incident. As of Saturday night, he remained in extremely critical condition and on a ventilator. At a prayer vigil held outside the hospital, Greg Taylor said: "He’s still in extremely critical condition, still on a ventilator, constantly for him. We’re just pushing day by day to hope that the activity comes back." Greg Taylor expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support, saying: "Thank you for all of the support and everything you guys are doing for us."
Community support has grown rapidly in the days following the incident. A prayer vigil was held Thursday night at Fellowship Columbia Bank Field, attended by friends, teammates, family members, and neighbors, many of whom wore Xavier’s jersey number, 6. Greg Taylor addressed the crowd and said: "My son Xavier loves this team. He will play this game again." A second vigil took place outside Cooper University Hospital on Saturday. Supporters across the country have also worn number 6 at their own youth baseball games in solidarity. More than $70,000 has been raised through a community fundraiser for the Taylor family, and local residents organized a meal train for them through the summer.
The Maple Shade Baseball Association filed incident reports with Babe Ruth League headquarters and Maple Shade Township police. While one source described the injury as resulting from a blow to the head, multiple accounts, including the father’s, consistently state the ball struck Xavier in the neck. Inside Xavier’s baseball hat is the Bible verse Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me."