Batboy Kaiser Carlile Dies at the Age of 9 After Being Struck by Warm-Up Swing

Kaiser Carlile, a nine-year-old batboy, died Sunday night after being inadvertently struck by a baseball player taking practice swings during a National Baseball Congress World Series game.

The Liberal Bee Jays, a summer collegiate baseball team, confirmed the news on Facebook:

"

With the permission of the family, and with much sorrow and a very broken heart, I regretfully inform everyone that Kaiser Carlile passed away earlier this evening. Please keep his family and our team in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you all for the support during this ordeal!

"

According to NBC News' Phil Helsel and Andrew Rudansky, the initial injury occurred during a game Saturday between the Bee Jays and San Diego Waves. Carlile, who was wearing a helmet, was returning a bat to the dugout, according to team president Nathan McCaffrey (via CNN).

Emergency medical services personnel, who were already on the scene to help a fan suffering from dizzy spells, quickly attended to Carlile and took him to Via Christi St. Francis hospital in Wichita, Kansas, in critical condition.

Gordon Bassham and Chris Arnold of KSN in Wichita, Kansas, interviewed Jim Parks, an eyewitness at the scene.

"[The on-deck batter] was swinging, and it hit [Carlile] in the helmet, knocked him down," Parks said. "He got back up, but he went right back down again."

Parks added Carlile was an avid Bee Jays follower.