Family warns others after South Carolina umpire dies of heat stroke
- - - Family warns others after South Carolina umpire dies of heat stroke
Saleen Martin, USA TODAYJuly 4, 2025 at 6:03 AM
A South Carolina family is mourning a beloved umpire who died of heat stroke and heart issues, as well as warning others about the dangers of being in the heat too long.
Mitchell Huggins, 61, was working as an umpire during a softball tournament on June 21 when he passed out, family members told USA TODAY this week.
A bystander began performing CPR on him, then when EMS arrived, they continued trying to save Huggins, Sumter County Coroner Robbie Baker previously told USA TODAY.
An autopsy showed that Huggins died of heat stroke, Baker said, adding that "prior heart issues" played a role in his death as well.
Mitchell Huggins, 61, a South Carolina umpire who died in June 2025 during a softball tournament.
According to local meteorologists, weather readings came in at a high of 92 degrees in the Sumter area on June 21. The heat index was also in the upper 90s, although hot weather in the area is not unusual, said a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Columbia.
Huggins was working an event for Perfect Game tournaments the day he died.
While Perfect Game did not respond to questions about the company's policies during extreme heat and inclement weather, the organization did say Huggins was "a respected and valued member of the travel baseball and softball community who left an indelible mark on the game."
"We are heartbroken over the news," the organization said. "We extend our heartfelt condolences to Mitchell's family, friends and fellow umpires during this incredibly difficult time."
Here is what happened the day Huggins died and what his family wants the public to know to prevent heat-related deaths from happening to other umpires and athletes.
Mitchell Huggins lost consciousness in nephew's arms
Huggins' nephew and fellow umpire, Delonta Huggins, was there the day he died and recalled how hot it was.
"Anywhere that you play turf ball at, it's going to be about 50 degrees hotter," he told USA TODAY on July 3.
Sports organizers called Delonta over to check on his uncle after he fell ill. His uncle was taken to a meeting office for umpires, where his shirt was removed to cool him down, Delonta said. Those around Huggins told him to get some electrolytes into his body and eat some fruit, his nephew recalled.
Eventually, they brought a golf cart over to drive him to Delonta's car so they could go to the hospital. At some point, they began waiting for an ambulance. They tried to cool Huggins down as he sat in the golf cart, waiting for the incoming ambulance.
His nephew, who lost his 3-year-old son a few months ago, recalled telling his uncle he could not lose him, too. As he tried to keep his uncle alert, Delonta said his face locked up, and eventually, he lost consciousness in his arms.
Who was Mitchell Huggins?
Pamela Rufus, Huggins' younger sister and Delonta's mother, spoke to her brother via FaceTime shortly before the umpire passed. Delonta called her so she could speak to him.
"He FaceTimed me for a whole 45 minutes of my brother's life. I tried to talk with him, and I kept saying 'You've got to get up,'" Rufus said, adding that he did not look like himself.
Growing up, her brother was one of three children. He was a bit overprotective when they were coming up since she was the only girl, she remembered.
He played football in his younger days, she said. He went through a rough patch but turned his life around, and sports were part of that, Rufus added.
About 30 years ago, Huggins began calling basketball games, leading him to referee in Lamar and other nearby cities. He eventually started to officiate football, and about 18 years ago, softball.
'He was our world'
Huggins' fiancée, Margaret McFadden, said she and their 14-year-old son, Sheldon, are crushed
"That's all he knows, his dad, and for him to just go to work one day and just didn't come back, we just can't process it," McFadden said.
The mother and son now have to relocate since his passing, moving closer to her hometown in Turbeville for support, she told USA TODAY on July 3. Their son wants to write a book about his father, she said, preemptively calling it "The Legend of the Great Umpire."
"He was our world," McFadden said. "It's like our whole world just crumbled right before our faces."
Games were always 'fun and fair' with Mitchell Huggins
Kayla Streett met Huggins about 3 ½ years ago and calls him "Uncle Mitch." It is a name many ball players called the umpire, known for his big smile and his love for the game.
"I was keeping books for a rec. ball game, and he always called me his little bookkeeper diva because I always had big sunglasses on," Streett told USA TODAY on July 3.
He also encouraged her to create her own travel ball teams recently, which she called Delta Elite. She was at a game and mentioned wanting to start a team for girls who are new to travel ball.
"Well, why don't you?" Huggins asked her that day. "You're here anyway. You might as well be coaching because you know more than most people."
Mitchell Huggins, 61, was serving as an umpre for a South Carolina softball tournament in June 2025 when he died. Local officials say he died of heat stroke and previous heart issues.
Still, he didn't want her to have too much on her plate.
"You'll never know more than me," he joked, she recalled.
Streett said wherever Huggins was calling games, he made sure all athletes and parents felt welcome.
"When you saw him, you saw a big smile and you saw all the girls happy that he was behind that plate," she said. "They all knew it was going to be a fun and fair game."
'That sun will reveal itself'
Delonta Huggins said local organizers keep a cooler on site with drinks for the umpires, but there is only so much someone can do in the heat when they are not properly taking care of their bodies.
Sometimes, hydration is not enough to help those who have preexisting conditions and work in the heat, he said.
"That sun will reveal itself," Delonta added.
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Family warns public after South Carolina umpire dies of heat stroke
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