I, unfortunately, have sad news to report out of central Pennsylvania — a former home of mine.
Angel Mercado-Ocasio, a freshman college baseball infielder for the Central Penn College Knights, has died following a freak accident that saw an illegal dugout collapse on him at a youth baseball field, according to TMZ. He was 19.
Matt Maisel, the spokesman for the City of Harrisburg, said that Mercado-Ocasio was taking down a dugout that had been built illegally at the field. However, while he was in the middle of disassembling it, part of the dugout collapsed on him.
After the incident, Mercado-Ocasio was taken to the local hospital, but sadly, he was pronounced dead Tuesday night by the Cumberland County coroner. (RELATED: Florida Panthers Punch Tickets To Stanley Cup Final For First Time In 27 Years After Sweeping Carolina Hurricanes)
Mercado-Ocasio died of a head injury, according to WGAL (Lancaster, PA) reporter Tom Lehman.
Teammates and friends of 19-year-old Angel Mercado-Ocasio say they’re devastated by his death.
The Harrisburg baseball player died late last night from a traumatic head injury suffered when a dugout he was helping to disassemble at a city park collapsed on him. @WGAL pic.twitter.com/jo6a8N5IOp
— Tom Lehman (@TomLehmanWGAL) May 24, 2023
Gerardo Diaz, the local youth coach who Mercado-Ocasio was helping before he died, remembers Diaz as “bright and funny.”
Mercado-Ocasio was among the players helping Gerardo Diaz, known as “Coach Cuba,” disassemble a dugout Diaz had built at the 7th and Radnor baseball field without permission from the city.
Diaz said he accepted responsibility for what happened and is gutted about the accident. pic.twitter.com/9XnLCbj4X3
— Tom Lehman (@TomLehmanWGAL) May 24, 2023
My condolences to the family, friends and teammates of Angel Mercado-Ocasio.