Illegal Dugout Collapses, Kills College Baseball Player In Tragic Accident

A college baseball player in central Pennsylvania has died after a dugout at a youth baseball field collapsed on him.

According to TMZ, Angel Mercado-Ocasio, a freshman infielder for the Central Penn College Knights, died in the incident.

City of Harrisburg spokesman Matt Maisel said the 19-year-old was disassembling a dugout that had been illegally built at the field. However, while he was attempting to do this, part of the structure collapsed on top of him.

Mercado-Ocasio was rushed to the hospital following the incident. Tragically, the Cumberland County coroner pronounced him dead late Tuesday night.

According to Tom Lehman, a reporter at Lancaster, Pennsylvania TV station WGAL, Mercado-Ocasio died due to a head injury.

The local youth coach, Gerardo Diaz, who Mercado-Ocasio had been helping at the time of his death, remembered him as "bright and funny."

"He just got into university," Diaz said. "He just went to university this year. You don't know how bright and funny — he was it."

"Our Central Penn College family is devastated by the loss of Angel," Central Penn College President Linda Fedrizzi-Williams said in a statement. "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."

According to the Central Penn College athletics site, Mercado-Ocasio hailed from Harrisburg and played second base and shortstop.

Everyone at OutKick sends their condolences to Mercado-Ocasio's family, friends, and teammates.

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