ST. GEORGE — A player with the Snow Canyon Little League all-star baseball team that became the first Utah team ever to reach the Little League World Series over the weekend has been seriously hurt after falling off the top of a bunk bed overnight.
Update Aug. 15, 7:30 p.m. Additional information on injury, condition. Statements from team and Little League International
Easton Oliverson, who plays outfield and pitches for the team, was injured overnight while in a player dormitory in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, where the Little League World Series begins on Wednesday.
The team had arrived over the weekend and Oliverson was sleeping in bunk beds at the dormitory at the Little League World Series site. According to sources with the team and Little League International, sometime in the night between late Sunday and early Monday, Oliverson fell from his top bunk about six feet above onto a hardwood floor.
A teammate alerted others to the fall, and Oliverson was transported by helicopter to Geisinger Janet Weis Children’s Hospital in Danville, Pennsylvania, which is about 40 miles from Williamsport.
Oliverson suffered fractures to his skull and cheekbone with bleeding between the inside of his skull and the outer covering of the brain.
According to a message sent to Snow Canyon Little League parents Monday morning, Oliverson was in the intensive care unit of the hospital after a successful surgery.
“We need to give our well wishes to him,” the team’s coach Kyle Hafen told St. George News. “We’re still trying to figure out the proper way to handle this.”
The 12-year-old’s father, Jace Oliverson, is an assistant coach with the team that on Saturday won the Mountain Region to become the first team from Utah to ever reach the Little League World Series, which is in its 75th year.
The team released a statement late Monday afternoon that updated his condition as remaining critical but expressing optimism for his recovery.
“We have been told from his family that his current condition is critical but we are optimistic with some of the early signs he has recently shown,” the statement from the Snow Canyon Little League all-stars said. “We join the family in asking for prayers on his behalf.”
A statement was also released by Little League International confirming that Oliverson was injured in the World Series dormitory.
“At the request of his family, Little League International encourages all to join us in keeping the Snow Canyon Little League player and his family in our thoughts and prayers, as we wish for a full and complete recovery. Little League International will continue to use all available resources to support the player, his family, and his coaches and teammates, as we navigate this unfortunate situation,” The statement read. “In the interest of privacy, it would be inappropriate to comment further, and additional updates will be issued as they are available.””
According to Little League website, each team sleeps in a large sleeping room with 14 bunk beds and a television. Known as “The Grove,” there are two coaches’ rooms attached to the players’ room and parents are not allowed to stay on the campus, though Oliverson’s father would as a coach.
The team’s efforts to reach Williamsport has drawn cheers throughout the state ranging from Donavan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz to Gov. Spencer Cox.
Cox posted a statement on Twitter concerning Oliverson.
“Our prayers are with this player, family and team today,” he said.
The team is scheduled to play its first game of the World Series Friday at 1 p.m. in Williamsport against the winner of a Wednesday game between Tennessee and Massachusetts.
In their statement, the team said they still have a job to do with an added purpose of not only representing Utah, but their teammate as well.
“As a team preparing for the Little League World Series, Coach O (Oliverson) expressed his desire for Team Utah to finish what we started and compete and enjoy this amazing experience. While our hearts are heavy, we are committed as a team to have an opportunity to take part in something that is only dreamt about by others,” the statement read. “We teach our players to do everything with a purpose — that hasn’t changed. It has perhaps been added to with something far greater than ever. We believe in Team Utah. We believe in Team Easton.”
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