After 42 days in the hospital following a freak accident on a Birmingham-area golf course, Hewitt-Trussville baseball standout Grayson Pope has left UAB.

Following significant improvements in the last few weeks, the University of Tennessee baseball commit was transferred Tuesday to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, one of the top brain and spinal cord rehabilitation centers in the country.

“Everybody involved is very excited for him and this next phase of his recovery,” Hewitt-Trussville baseball coach Jeff Mauldin said. “I texted with his dad yesterday and they are all just very excited to get there, get going and take this next step to Grayson getting back to a normal life.”

Pope, a rising junior and member of the 2023 AL.com All-Birmingham Terrific 20 baseball team, was seriously injured when a tree fell on his golf cart during a thunderstorm on June 6.

According to the Facebook page ‘Prayers for Grayson Pope,’ he has made significant progress in recent days. Prior to his move to Shepherd, Grayson has been able to breathe through his nose and mouth after having his trach removed. He also has been able to use the restroom on his own, kick a ball with his right foot and has worked his legs and feet on a portable foot pedal.

“I think he has improved every day,” Mauldin said. “He was able to use the bathroom on his own in the past week. That was a prayer request for a long time. That was a huge step. He’s moving his feet and hands, holding things, looking around. Everything is slowly coming back. Obviously, the hope is that it continues and that being at Shepherd can speed up the process as he continues to improve.”

The move to Shepherd was delayed by Pope having reconstructive surgery on a finger he broke in the accident and later having craniotomy surgery, but he and the family are in Atlanta now.

“It was a goal of the family to get him to Shepherd, and it’s been a lengthy process,” Mauldin said. “They are so excited for this next step. It was almost like they received a jolt of energy. At the same time, the family has gone on and on about the care they received at UAB. It’s been a blessing from God for them.”

The battle is not over for Pope, and Mauldin said the family is asking for the prayers to continue.

“I talked to David (Pope, father) yesterday,” Mauldin said. “His whole message was just to keep the prayers coming. People want to do things and want to help financially, and all that is needed obviously. But what is needed the most is prayer. Pray every day.

“There is power in prayer and our God is a powerful God. You could argue that Grayson shouldn’t have made it off the golf course that day, but he did, and we’ve seen God do miraculous works since then.”

Mauldin said Grayson Pope’s competitive spirit plays a big part in his recovery as well.

“Everyone who knows him – teammates, opponents, whoever – have said he is one of the best competitors they’ve ever seen, one of the hardest workers they’ve seen and one of the best fighters,” Mauldin said. “He’s doing all those things. He’s fighting. So many people have come up to me and told me, ‘If anyone can make it through this, it’s Grayson Pope.’ That’s a testament to him, to his mom and dad and the way he’s been raised.”