FHU baseball player hospitalized by heat stroke returns to West Tennessee

HENDERSON, Tenn. — On Aug. 27, 2018, Slater Springman collapsed during baseball conditioning at Freed-Hardeman University.

“They got me in an ambulance, got me to Jackson, got me to the hospital. They decided I was having a heat stroke, and I was having some seizures,” Springman said.

Then the disease Rhabdomyolysis set in, “Which is a break down of all the skeletal muscles, kind of clogs the kidneys and causes them to shut down and then from then on causes a lot of the bodily functions to shut down with it,” Springman said.

He and his family never gave up hope, and after 109 days in the hospital, he was released to start physical therapy.

“It was a great feeling, kind of weird, not having people stick me with needles all day,” Springman said.

Springman came back to Freed-Hardeman’s campus on Friday and is working to get his strength back.

“So I’m doing P.T. three days a week, and doing some stuff on my own on other days,” Springman said.

Teammates say it’s great to have him back on campus.

“It’s exciting, like a victory, like winning a game in the 9th inning, like a comeback,” Dane Berkey, one of Slater’s teammates, said.

His father was emotional when thanking everyone for caring for Slater.

“Your prayers and petitions to almighty God saved my son’s life. We’ll always be thankful. Thank you very much, God bless you all,” Bill Springman said as he choked back tears.

Because of all of the rain we’ve been getting here in West Tennessee, the Lions won’t be playing their first home game in Henderson. They’re headed to Corinth, Mississippi, where Slater will throw the first pitch.