Injured CA. high school ball player back on field

KENTFIELD, Calif. (AP) — A California high school pitcher who was left clinging to life after being struck in the head with a line drive that came off a metal bat is back on the field.

Gunnar Sandberg attended the Marin Catholic High School baseball team’s first practice of the season Monday.

Sandberg, hit during a practice game last March, suffered a fractured skull and was placed in a medically induced coma because of brain swelling.

The incident became a flashpoint in the debate over the safety of metal bats, with California lawmakers setting new safety standards for their use on high school teams.

The 17-year-old tells the Marin Independent Journal his goal was always to return to baseball.

The Marin County Athletic League now only allows players to use wooden bats — a change approved after Sandberg’s injury.