There is perhaps nothing more that Mishawaka senior Evan Forslund enjoys more than being a part of the Cavemen baseball team.

But last Thursday, that was all put in jeopardy.

"I was at my friend's house swimming and I jumped off the diving board too far and I hit the incline of the pool," Evan explained.

Forslund was rushed to Memorial Hospital. He had fractured three bones in his neck.

"I can hardly talk about it without crying," Evan's mom Candace said.

But mom's tears would turn to ones of joy as the Forslunds learned the fractures had not reached the spinal cord. By inches, Evan will make a full recovery.

"When the doctor came in, she told us it was the best day of his life," Candace said with tears in her eyes.

"It was the best day of our lives. I'm very pleased. By the grace of God, he's going to walk."

And not only will he walk, Evan will be able to return to the sport that he loves.

"That was the first thing I was thinking about," Evan explained from his hospital bed last Friday.

"Would I ever be able to play baseball again? Luckily I will be able to."

A day after Evan's injury, a pair of college football hall of famers paid him a visit. Reggie Williams has had six surgeries in the last three months that have left him without a knee. He immediately provided Evan with words of support.

"You're young, you're tough and you're going to make it," Reggie told him. "I'm looking you in the eye and I know you're going to make it."

The visit certainly was a boost for Evan.

"It's going to help me out a lot, knowing how hard they had it and that they are happy," Forslund explained.

Evan left the hospital Friday night and is recuperating at home. He will wear a neck brace for the next 8 weeks, but after that is expected to be completely healed.

Forslund, a catcher, was an all NIC 1st team player last season, hitting .490 during conference play.

"I'm just happy that I'm going to be ok."