The Drillers' radio announcer, Mark Neely, said during the game's broadcast that Coolbaugh, 35, was struck in the left temple by a hard-hit line drive from Tulsa's Tino Sanchez and immediately fell backward.

Coolbaugh reportedly lost consciousness and stopped breathing. He was administered CPR on the field and was taken by ambulance to Baptist Medical Center in North Little Rock where he was pronounced dead at 9:47 p.m., said Terry Kuykendall, a spokesman for the North Little Rock police department.

"It's a tragedy for all of baseball," Drillers president Chuck Lamson said. "He just joined the staff and was a former Driller player. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family. "

Kuykendall said "Coolbaugh died of massive head injures."

Coolbaugh joined the Drillers staff July 3 during the team's trip to San Antonio.

He played in seven games for the Drillers in 1996 and spent 17 seasons in professional baseball, appearing in a combined 44 games with the Milwaukee Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Coolbaugh was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 16th round in 1990. He also spent time in the Texas, Oakland and New York Yankees organizations.

A broken wrist ended his playing career last season.

Coolbaugh and his brother, Scott Coolbaugh, are the only brothers in professional baseball to play with both the Drillers and the Cardinals.

Scott Coolbaugh is the hitting instructor for the Frisco RoughRiders.

The Colorado Rockies' assistant general manager and vice president of baseball operations, Bill Geivett, spoke highly of Mike Coolbaugh while in Tulsa last week.

"We did a lengthy search and we like what we saw in Mike," Geivett said.

Drillers' first baseman Aaron Rifkin praised Coolbaugh's coaching style during the team's most recent home stand.

"Mike has helped me a lot and the whole team," Rifkin said. "He came in and didn't try to change guys, just fine-tune what they were doing. He's been great for me."

Mike Coolbaugh is survived by his wife, Mandy Coolbaugh, and two sons, Joseph and Jacob, all of San Antonio. The couple is expecting their third child in October.

The game was suspended in the ninth inning after the accident with Little Rock leading, 7-3.

Lamson said he believed that the Drillers' series with Wichita, which was to begin Monday, would be postponed.

In May, the Tulsa pitcher Jon Asahina was struck by a line drive on the left side of the head at the same Arkansas field. He just recently rejoined the team.

Lynn Jacobsen 581-8461
lynn.jacobsen@tulsaworld.com