Baseball is a cruel game. Typically, that refers to the frequent failure that takes place in the sport. As Coach Cory Hamilton frequently says, a player can do everything right and go 0-for-4. A team can play its heart out, and still come just shy of victory. However, during the JV game against Caprock April 14, it became apparent that baseball is a cruel game in a sense much larger than things like batting average, ERA, wins or losses.
Sophomore Austin Chontos was hit by a pitch in the head, just under the back of his helmet. Within a few minutes, Chontos lost all consciousness and was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. At the hospital, doctors discovered that Chontos had a severed vein in his brain and underwent emergency surgery to heal the internal bleeding and swelling on his brain. In order to heal, Chontos was put in a medically-induced coma for three days. Currently, Chontos is in stable condition and doctors are optimistic about his recovery.
That Saturday morning, it’s highly unlikely that Chontos ever expected he would be seriously injured in a baseball game. And that’s where the cruelty of baseball comes in to play. He had played the game his whole life. He had dedicated countless hours of nearly every day into the sport he loves. He put his heart and soul into the game, and instead of being rewarded, a freak accident threatened his life. It could have happened to anybody. For some reason beyond our understanding, Austin Chontos was the one to suffer. Comfort can only be found in knowing God has a purpose for all things.
While baseball is a cruel game, it is still just as much a beautiful game. It is a game that allows courage and redemption in the face of adversity. That day, in the midst of all the chaos, something beautiful happened. It was painstaking to witness a normally undistracted Coach Hamilton cancel the varsity game scheduled to take place just after the accident, to witness a normally upbeat and enthusiastic coach Jeff Schenck appear deeply shaken and to witness an entire group of varsity and JV baseball players in tears moments later at the hospital. At the same time, these things were also inspiring, as it reveals the goodness of human nature and the strong camaraderie that comes with being a part of a team. The same goes for seeing the entire school and community come together to benefit a fellow Raider in various ways. As terrible as the situation was, great things were revealed in the face of adversity.
Still, it is hard to find positive things in this situation. Many are left asking a question as old as mankind: why? Why anybody? Why Austin Chontos? Why would something like this happen in something as seemingly insignificant as a baseball game? These are questions only God can answer. This situation is part of a plan far beyond our comprehension. Since it happened, many things have become apparent. Among them are the importance of faith, the strength of community, and the beauty of life. That Saturday served as a reminder of just how thin the line between life and death really is – how the things that we take for granted everyday can be taken from us in an instant. Life is a fragile thing.
Baseball is a cruel game. It’s also a beautiful game. The same can be said for life.
As a family, as a team, as a school and as a community, let us all pray for Austin Chontos to continue making progress in his recovery.
