Maple Shade, NJ Boy, Xavier Taylor, 12, Fights for Life After Freak Baseball Neck Injury During Youth League Warmup

Xavier Taylor, 12, was walking back to the dugout during warmups with his Maple Shade Youth Baseball team when a ball thrown by another player struck him in the back of the neck. He collapsed on the field and went into cardiac arrest.

His father, Gregory Taylor, a retired firefighter, immediately rushed to help his son on the field. Xavier was then airlifted to Cooper University Hospital, where he remains in critical condition on a ventilator.

Greg Taylor described the moment plainly 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,” he said, calling it a freak accident and stressing that no one is to blame.

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Xavier has been on a ventilator since arriving at Cooper University Hospital. His father has said the family is pushing day by day, hoping that activity comes back.

Despite the grim circumstances, the Taylor family has not given up. Greg Taylor told the crowd at a candlelight vigil,

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“My son Xavier loves this game. He will play this game again.”

A Community Refuses to Let Xavier Face This Alone

Hundreds of friends, neighbors, and teammates returned to Fellowship Columbia Bank Field, the same field where the accident occurred, for a prayer vigil filled with music, candles, and messages of hope.

Many attendees wore shirts bearing Xavier’s number 6. A second vigil was later held outside Cooper University Hospital, where supporters stood with arms raised toward the ICU.

The family shared a moment that captured the spirit surrounding Xavier’s fight. Greg Taylor said his youngest son brought a pair of shoes to the hospital on the first day and told his parents,

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“These are for Xavier when he comes home, because he’s walking out of here.”

The Maple Shade Youth Baseball Association released a statement acknowledging the response from the community.

“The outpouring of love, prayers, generosity and support shown by our community has been nothing short of remarkable,” the association wrote.

The group also canceled its June 12 closing ceremonies and postponed all-star activities, saying the decisions were made after speaking directly with the Taylor family.

A Meal Train fundraiser has raised more than $110,000, far surpassing its original $2,500 goal, drawing contributions from over 1,400 donors. Volunteers have pledged to provide meals to the Taylor family through late June.

Inside Xavier’s baseball hat, his father revealed, is a verse he lives by. Philippians 4:13 reads,

“I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me.”

Greg Taylor told the crowd it is something his son began believing and holds onto to this day. The family has held tightly to their faith throughout. “Just keep all the prayers and the love and support coming, a miracle will happen for our boy. He will walk out of this hospital,” Greg Taylor said.