NC high school baseball coach collapses before team’s playoff game. What we know
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Samuel “Kasey” McMillen died before a playoff game Friday night.
- McMillen passed out during pregame warmups and could not be revived at Burns on Friday.
- The quarterfinal game was called off, and sources said it will be played Saturday.
A baseball coach at Stuart Cramer High School died before a playoff game Friday night.
Samuel “Casey” McMillen, the school’s junior varsity coach, passed out during pregame warmups before Stuart Cramer’s state quarterfinal game at Burns on Friday, and he was unable to be revived.
McMillen was a teacher at Mount Holly Middle School.
The game was called off and was played on Saturday. Burns won 18-2 to advance to next week’s regional championship series.
Stuart Cramer ended the best season in school history at 21-6.
“The kids are pretty broken up,” a source told The Observer.
Stuart Cramer principal Jessica Steiner released a statement on Facebook Saturday. She said counselors would at school on Monday for students and parents.
“Please keep our school family in your thoughts and prayers as we cope with the sudden passing of our assistant varsity baseball coach, Mr. Casey McMillen,” she wrote. “No words can describe our feelings of shock and sadness as we deal with this tragic loss. Our deepest condolences go out to Mr. McMillen’s family, friends, colleagues, and everyone in the Stuart W. Cramer and Mount Holly Middle school communities.
“He cared deeply for students, supported them in both academics and athletics, and gave so much to positively influence the lives of young people. Without question, he will be greatly missed. We will have counselors at school on Monday to support our students and staff, and we will have extra staff with our baseball team tonight. Thank you for your support of and concern for our school during this very difficult time.”
Note: A Meal Train has been created for coach McMillen’s family of Casey McMillen. You can view it here.
This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 9:38 PM.
