If the pitcher did it on accident there will be no charges on assault or battery.
Under tort law:
Battery is:
-moved voluntarly
-intended to inflict harmful or offensive touching
-touched in a manner that caused some injury or would offend a resonable person's dignity
Assault is:
-Intended to wrongfully touch or threaten someone
-Acted voluntarily
-Person was aware of the threat of immediate harm
If it was accidental, neither situation would fall in either of those categories. Most certainly not assault, if anything battery.
However, the situation might fall under 'negligence' which is another tort law.
The media always messes these things up, but I don't expect much from them in terms of accuracy anyway.