Gainesville High baseball player dies after accidental batting cage head injury

A Gainesville High School baseball player who was on life support after being pronounced brain dead in the wake of an accidental head injury has died, his family announced Tuesday.

Jeremy Medina, 17, was declared dead by neurological criteria Dec. 3, his family and medical team announced at a news conference last week. He was kept on life support in accordance with his wishes to become an organ donor, and the family planned an honor walk through the Northeast Georgia Medical Center corridors before the donation procedures would begin.

Medina’s family sought a visa for his grandmother to travel to the U.S. to attend the honor walk, they said in a statement.

“Sadly, his heart stopped (Monday) night about an hour before grandma arrived,” the statement said.

Medina, a senior at Gainesville High, was a pitcher and catcher for the baseball team. He was struck in the head by a bat at the school’s batting cages Nov. 20 and fell into a coma. After 13 days in the hospital, he was declared brain dead.

School administrators and Medina’s family said the 17-year-old’s injury was accidental. Medina leaned into the net of the batting cage at the same moment the batter swung, and he was hit by the batter’s follow-through. Principal Jamie Green said the incident involved “no horseplay, no misconduct and no intent.”

“We know Jeremy was and will always be in God’s hands and we will see him soon,” the Medina family said in Tuesday’s statement. “We are grateful for all the prayers and support over the last three weeks, and we appreciate everyone’s understanding as we take time now to be with our family.”