06/04/2026
Updated: We have been informed he has passed away, our hearts and prayers with the family at this time. We still play for him and his family
⚾️❤️ Tonight We Play for Xavier ❤️⚾️
There are some stories that hit differently when you’re a sports parent.
You read them and suddenly it’s not someone else’s child. It’s your son. It’s your teammate. It’s the little boy digging through the cooler for a pickle between games. It’s the kid who forgot his cleats. It’s the one covered in dirt with a smile bigger than life itself.
Xavier Taylor is only 12 years old.
The same age as so many of the boys we watch take the field every week.
As parents, we spend countless hours in the bleachers. We complain about the weather, the long weekends, the early mornings, and the endless schedule. We worry about batting slumps, missed catches, and tough losses.
But stories like this remind us what really matters.
The privilege of being there.
The privilege of hearing, “Mom, watch this.”
The privilege of one more game, one more practice, one more ride home talking about baseball.
Tonight, our Arsenal boys will take the field like they always do. They’ll laugh with their friends, cheer for their teammates, and play the game they love.
But tonight, we’ll hold our own kids a little tighter.
We’ll say an extra prayer.
We’ll remember that every inning, every pitch, every moment is a gift.
Our hearts are with Xavier, his family, his teammates, his coaches, and an entire community facing the unimaginable.
And our hearts are also with the young boy involved in the accident. In a single moment, two childhoods were changed forever. While everyone prays for Xavier, we also pray for a little boy carrying a burden no child should ever have to carry. It was a tragic accident, and we hope he is surrounded by love, grace, support, and understanding as he faces emotions no 12-year-old should ever have to endure.
Because the truth is, every one of us can picture our own child in either position.
That’s what makes this so heartbreaking.
Tonight, the score doesn’t matter.
The standings don’t matter.
The only thing that matters is a little boy who should be on a baseball field with his friends, and a baseball community standing together around two children who need every prayer we can offer.
Tonight, we play for Xavier. ❤️⚾️
❤️🙏⚾️
