Overview

• On June 21, Mitchell Huggins, 61, collapsed while officiating a youth softball game at Patriot Park and died hours later at Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital.
• Sumter County Coroner’s Office confirmed that Huggins succumbed to heat stroke with an underlying heart issue.
• Temperatures that day soared into the 90s and the turf at the field registered over 180 degrees, intensifying the risk of heat-related illness.
• Spectators and teammates attempted to revive Huggins on the field before emergency responders transported him to the hospital.
• Known affectionately as Uncle Mitch, he was a fixture in the local softball community and is survived by his fiancée and 14-year-old son.