CHATHAM — The message “don’t drink and drive” is one Cape League officers preach to summer players every year, but that warning in being reinforced following last week’s accident in Brewster that left one player in the hospital and another one facing criminal charges. 

Brewster Whitecaps pitcher Barrett Dail, 20, is being treated at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston for head and leg injuries after he was pinned beneath a truck driven by his teammate Ryan Woolley, whom police allege was drunk.

Dail, a sophomore at the University of North Carolina, was upgraded from serious to fair condition this week, according to a Mass General spokesperson. 

Woolley, a 20-year-old University of Georgia sophomore, pled not guilty in Orleans District Court last week to operating under the influence of alcohol resulting in serious bodily injury, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and being a minor in possession of alcohol. He was held at the Barnstable County Correction Facility before posting $500 bail. 

According to published reports, Woolley went to move his Ford Ranger pick-up truck from the driveway to the street. Shortly after, Dail jumped on the hood. Woolley hit the brakes and Dail fell off and became pinned under the left front tire.

News of the incident spread fast “though the college baseball text message pipeline,” according to Chatham A’s Field Manager John Schiffner, who reminded his players about the danger and damage that can come from drinking and driving as well as underage and excessive consumption of alcohol. 

“On a daily basis, we tell the kids to be smart and remind them what they’re here for, which is to play baseball,” Schiffner said. “We tell the kids that certain behavior is unacceptable and you’re obligated to take care of yourself, because we cannot watch them 24/7.” 

Schiffner said during his long tenure with the team, there have been no incidents in Chatham like the one in Brewster, but last week’s unfortunate event serves as a cautionary tale. 

“The first thing we tell the kids is that a serious accident can happen,” Schiffner said. “We also explain to them that [underage drinking] is illegal and you can’t perform at a high level if you’re partying all the time. The lives of the two young men in Brewster are changed forever and it’s sad. That’s why we tell our kids what is and what is not acceptable.” 

Harwich Field Manager Steve Englert echoed those remarks.

“We’re using what happened in Brewster to tell the guys that’s a situation you don’t ever want to get yourself into,” the Mariners coach said. “Hopefully the guys realize they’re up here for a great opportunity and they take advantage of it and make the right decisions. Every year we tell the players ‘handle your business on the field and off the field.’”