Winfield , Putnam County , West Virginia

The sound of a bat hitting a ball is the unmistakable sound that signals the start of baseball season. But for players closest to the action, an aluminum bat hitting a ball can have tragic consequences.

In the top of the third inning of Winfield's game against Huntington Monday night, a line drive up the middle hit General's pitcher Dusty Kincaid in the temple and he crumpled to the ground.

"When you see something like that happen, it just happens so fast you're almost helpless. Dusty didn't even have time to react," said Winfield Generals' coach, Will Isaacs.

Dusty was rushed to CAMC with swelling on his brain. He underwent surgery and is still recovering in the intensive care unit.

High school teams in West Virginia still use aluminum bats, but Isaacs says they are modified with exit speeds far less than those the teams used to play with. "These bats that we have this year play a lot like a wood bat but obviously not completely like a wood bat. So efforts have been made to reduce the exit speeds off the bats for safety reasons," he said.

Friends say Dusty continues to make progress, but he's not recovering alone. Gunters Logoworks is making shirts for Dusty and his classmates are doing what they can to show him his spirit is still alive in their hearts and on the field.

There will be a fundraiser for Dusty at the Buffalo Wild Wings locations in Nitro and off Corridor G on Thursday from 5:00 until 9:00 p.m. Twenty percent of the proceeds will go to the Kincaid family.

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