Fly ball bounces off college outfielder’s head for improbable home run

Across all sports and all levels, coaches tell their players to use their heads. However, Highland center fielder Jake Shields used his head in a completely different sense and had a Jose Canseco moment.

In Highland’s 8-4 loss to Butler in the first game of a doubleheader on Thursday at McDonald Stadium in Kansas, Butler designated hitter Tanay Vyas hit a high fly ball to right-center field with a runner on first base with two outs in the bottom of the third inning.

Shields ran over to make the play, shielding the sun with his glove and his sunglasses, but completely misjudged the ball. Instead of catching the fly ball, it landed on his head and bounced over the wall for an improbable home run to make it 3-1.

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Former Oakland Athletics player Jose Canseco speaks to fans as the Athletics inducted him into the team’s Hall of Fame before the game against the San Francisco Giants in Oakland, California, on Aug. 17, 2024. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Shields’ blunder was reminiscent of Jose Canseco’s infamous outfielder blunder in 1988. Carlos Martinez, a designated hitter for the Cleveland Indians, hit a fly ball to the warning track in right field.

Canseco, an outfielder for the Texas Rangers at the time, ran to the wall to try to catch the ball, but missed it. The ball hit off his head and bounced up and over the wall for a home run.

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Former Oakland Athletics outfielder Jose Canseco stands on the field before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California, on July 21, 2024. (Darren Yamashita/USA TODAY Sports)

Shields was well short of the warning track in the outfield when the ball hit his head, meaning the ball bounced at least 30 feet off his head and over the wall for a two-run home run. The college baseball player bent over and held his head.

“Oh! Right off his forehead,” the announcer said. “Oh my, Jake Shields is going to feel that for a long time.”

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Former Oakland Athletics outfielder Jose Canseco sits in the dugout before the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California, on Aug. 17, 2024. (Darren Yamashita/USA TODAY Sports)

The main difference between Shields’ and Canseco’s miscues were how far the ball bounced off their heads. Canseco was right next to the wall, while Shields wasn’t even near the warning track.

Unfortunately for Highland, Shields’ blunder was the beginning of a tough four-game series against the Butler Grizzlies, as they swept the series.

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