Baseball coaches accused of beaning hitters at practice

March 22, 2017 / Athletic AdministrationBaseballCoaching
A pair of Tennessee high school baseball coaches are under investigation after they were accused of intentionally hitting batters with pitches during one of the team’s practices.

The coaches at Two Hardin Valley Academy have been placed on paid leave but continue to teach at the school. According to an article from the USA Today Network, one of the coaches had already been investigated twice before, once stemming from a player who was injured during practice and again from a public intoxication arrest.

According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, the latest “drill” was prompted by a player who stepped out of the batter’s box during a recent scrimmage to avoid being hit by the pitch. During the drill, players were not allowed to step out of the batter’s box until they were hit.

The USA Today Network has video of the practice, taken by a player’s parent. In the video, one batter is hit by two pitches before leaving the batter’s box. It’s unclear who is pitching in the video.

The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the incident. Sheri Super’s son plays on the team, and she was concerned for his safety.

“What makes me angry is that my son has had two concussions since May of last year,” Super told the Knoxville News Sentinel. “What if they would have accidentally hit him the head? At that point we are talking about double vision and cognitive functioning, not whether he has a career playing at Vanderbilt.”

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