O’FALLON, Mo. – An upcoming baseball game will be big on competition and bigger on brotherhood.

That will be the case with the Battle of the Badges on April 19, when area police and firefighters face off at CarShield Field in O’Fallon, Missouri. Proceeds from the event will support Nathan Spiess, an injured officer from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

Spiess, 31, is battling serious injuries after he was struck and nearly killed trying to arrest a carjacking suspect on I-70 the morning of March 17.

Shortly after the incident, the organizers of the Battle for the Badges quickly determined something needed “to be done.

“When this came out and we heard it – of Nathan’s injury- this came right off the bat for us. And this could be the best way we could help out for the Spiess family,” Battle of the Badges organizer John Aebischer, a patrolman with the St. Peters Police Department, said.

The cause hits close to home on a number of levels. All of the players are first responders. And one of them—Spiess—is Nathan’s twin brother, who is a firefighter.

“Nick [has] been on the team since the get-go. Always here, always supportive. With what happened with his brother recently, makes all the more difference to get this going. To benefit him as well as we can,” Matt Pay, a firefighter and Battle of the Badges Manager.

Also stepping up to the plate is the 10-78 Project, a local non-profit that provides emotional, spiritual, and other kinds of support for officers’ well being. 10-78 was set to be the beneficiary of this year’s Battle of the Badges. But its founder agreed that a change was warranted.

“When they came to me and asked if we’d be open to the idea of taking a portion of the proceeds from this event to give to the Spiess family, we were 100% on board,” Matt Frkovic said. “Our goal is to ensure that officers like Nathan that go through these life-changing events, have a community of people who rally behind them.”

The game is sure to draw emotions – as Nate Spiess is scheduled to throw the first pitch to his brother, Nick.

“I’m sure lot of tears will be shed. But it will be good,” Pay said.

For more information on the Battle of the Badges, click here.