Tragic Heat Stroke Claims Life of Beloved South Carolina Youth Softball Umpire During Intense Heat Wave
Sumter, SC – A 61-year-old youth softball umpire died from a heat stroke during a tournament at Patriot Park on a sweltering Saturday, with surface temperatures hitting extraordinary highs. Mitchell Huggins, known affectionately as “Uncle Mitch” to players he mentored, collapsed in the presence of shocked spectators on June 21, 2025, during games that took place on synthetic turf recorded at 182.5 degrees Fahrenheit. The Sumter County Coroner’s Office attributed his death primarily to heat …