Former Southeast Missouri State player files lawsuit against university

The Southeast Missouri State Board of Regents faces a lawsuit from a former Southeast baseball player due to personal injury suffered during a team practice in March.

Broc Kreitler, of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, filed his petition against the university Sept. 28, and seeks to be awarded "compensatory damages in an amount to be proven at trial to be fair and reasonable in excess of $25,000, to award him prejudgment interest and the costs of this action, and to grant such other relief as the Court may deem just and proper."

Kreitler, who redshirted in 2014 and had one at-bat last season, is no longer on the team's roster and currently is not enrolled in any classes at the university, according to the registrar's office.

He was pitching behind an L-shaped pitcher's screen during a practice on March 23 when a ball hit by a teammate, "bounced to the ground and then bounced through a hole in the L-Screen, violently injuring [Kreitler] by striking him in the head, eye, and face."

The petition also states the screen had one or more holes in it that made it unsafe and Kreitler's injury, "resulted directly from the dangerous condition of the L-Screen," which the university should have been aware of.

Kreitler's injuries are listed as "permanent and progressive injuries, including, but not limited to, closed head, facial, and right eye injuries," and that he "has endured and will endure future pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and past and future medical expenses."

In the Board of Regents' response, the university said it is not liable because the screen was not defective and the baseball that hit Kreitler, "bounced through an untied area" of the screen.

"... Whatever injuries were caused to [Kreitler] were caused or contributed to by the carelessness and negligence of [Kreitler] in first failing to have checked the L screen's straps to make sure the straps were, in fact, properly attached to the framing of the L screen, prior to pitching to a batter."

A university spokesperson referred the matter to the department of athletics for comment. A spokesperson for the athletic department said in a message that "we won't comment on issues currently being litigated."

Kreitler's legal team also had no comment Monday.