Frightening experience for two local athletes

Football is the sport often considered the most dangerous and the one some parents do not let their sons play in high school.

But baseball, thought of as a non-contact sport, can be just as perilous if not more. Two local high school players, who recently underwent major surgery after getting hit in the face by a baseball, can attest to that.

Lakewood Ranch High outfielder Reggie Lindsey took a pitch to the head as a batter earlier in the season and Braden River pitcher Jarrod Leinhauser couldn’t avoid a line shot to the mound that came off an opponent’s bat at speeds estimated to be around 130 miles per hour.

Lindsey is back playing again and it appears Leinhauser will be ready to resume playing in about 6 to 8 weeks. Both their stories are compelling and somewhat frightening. Read about it in Sunday’s Bradenton’s Herald.