A college athlete was beaten into a coma with a metal bat, and now, the suspects are headed to trial

The police chief says he's never seen an assault so barbaric.

Two men charged with attempted murder in the beating of an Eastern Washington track star last week had their trial dates set for March 13 in Spokane Superior court.

John T. Mellgran and Damian C, Dunigan each face charges after the track athlete, Robert "Drew" Schreiber, was so badly beaten he had to be placed in a medically induced coma. The police chief in the case, John Hensley of the Cheney police department, said he'd  never seen an assault this barbaric.

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The details of what happened —- and why —- are murky and confusing. But the timeline, based on various media reports, is as follows:

The confrontation happened last October at an apartment complex, and the Seattle Times reported that Schreiber may have jumped from a second story window and chased the car being driven by one of the suspects. The Times, quoting police records, said Schreiber broke out the car's back window and glass shattered all over Mellgran and his girlfriend as they sat in the back seat of the vehicle.

The suspects chased Schreiber and when they caught up with him began kicking him, according to a report in the Yakima Herald. The suspects, according to police reports, went back to the damaged car to retrieve the baseball bat, and found the Schreiber had fled. The Herald, quoting court documents, said the suspects chased down Schreiber a second time and while he was on the ground, one of the suspects hit him in the  head with the baseball bat.

Schreiber suffered multiple fractures and bleeding on the brain as a result of the attack, the Herald reported.

Earlier reports indicated there may have been a third suspect involved, but police have never made another arrest.

Schreiber was released from the hospital just before Thanksgiving, and is still recovering from his injuries.