19-Year-Old Baseball Player Dies After Makeshift Dugout Collapses on Him

Angel Mercado.Photo:Central Penn College

Central Penn College

A 19-year-old Central Penn College student and baseball player has died after a wooden dugout collapsed above him, according to a news release fromCentral Penn College.

The student, who was identified as Angel Mercado, had been working on removing a wooden dugout in a city park at 7th and Radnor Streets in Harrisburg, Penn. as part of the Harrisburg International League, when the structure “unexpectedly collapsed,” seriously injuring him and another player.

“I tried my best to protect him," Diaz said, noting to the outlet that he blamed himself for not paying closer attention to the students. “I got mad at them, I told them to stop playing around but kids will be kids. I still feel responsible.”

Central Penn College President Fedrizzi-Williams announced that Mercado died from his injuries at the hospital in a letter to parents on Wednesday.

“As friends who have become family, we are mourning the heart-wrenching loss of one of our own, a promising young athlete who senselessly lost his life while helping others enjoy the sport he loved so much,” Fedrizzi-Williams said in the letter.

Mercado’s Penn College baseball coach Robert Stern Central started aGoFundMeto help pay for his funeral expenses.

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“This loss hits heavily on his family, friends, teammates, coaches, and the entire community. We are asking for help to support his family during this difficult time,” he wrote.

“We know Angel will live on through his loved ones and teammates. We truly will have an Angel in the outfield,” he added.

source: people.com