19-year-old college baseball player dies of head injury after dugout collapses

A Central Penn College baseball player has died after a makeshift dugout collapsed.

Angel Mercado-Ocasio, 19, suffered a traumatic brain injury Monday in Harrisburg, Pa., at 7th and Radnor baseball fields. He died Tuesday evening at Holy Spirit Hospital.

Mercado-Ocasio was hiding a wooden dugout on land that had been built without city permission – Mercado-Ocasio, a trainer, and several others assembled the dugouts and felt responsible for dismantling them.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE AT FOXNEWS.COM

“Our Central Penn College family is devastated by the loss of Angel,” Central Penn President Linda Fedrizzi-Williams said in a statement. “As friends who have become family, we mourn the heartbreaking loss of one of our own, a promising young athlete who lost his life for no reason while helping others enjoy the sport he loved. so much. No words can adequately express our anguish.”

“Every time someone passes by, we lose a bit of who we are. It hurts even more when it’s one of our own,” Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams added. “Angel was our son; a proud Cougar from Harrisburg and a promising and remarkable young athlete. He died helping others around the sport he loved. It’s heartbreaking. Angel hugged so many people and now we have to hug his memory. We ask everyone in the community to pray for his family, friends and teammates, as we go through this incredibly difficult time together. The City of Harrisburg wishes to extend its sincere condolences and prayers to the family.

Angel Mercado-Ocasio died in hospital on Tuesday evening. (Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

FORMER YANKEES MANAGER JABS AT HIS FORMER RECEIVER’S LACK OF SPEED DURING BROADCAST

Mercado-Ocasio was revived after first responders performed CPR and were in critical condition.

Coach Gerardo Diaz, who was hiding the dugout, blamed himself for not paying more attention to his players in the zone – he told FOX 43 they were “having fun”.

“I did my best to protect him,” he said. “I got angry with them. I told them to stop playing, but children will remain children. I still feel responsible.”

A 19-year-old baseball player died after a dugout collapsed on top of him. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The city received a $13 million grant to address issues with local parks, but it remains to be seen how the money will be used.