Two college baseball players die in Georgia car crash after winning conference championship
The players died hours after school won fifth straight USA South Tournament title
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Two freshmen pitchers on the LaGrange College baseball team were among three people killed in a car crash over the weekend, just hours after winning their conference championship, the school confirmed Sunday.
Stephen Bartolotta and Jacob Brown were involved in a head-on collision at around 9:15 p.m. in Troup County, Georgia, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Rico Dunn, 25, also died as a result of the crash, according to local media.
ADREIAN PAYNE DEATH: ALLEGED GUNMAN BELIEVED SHOOTING WAS ‘JUSTIFIED,’ REPORTS SAY
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I am deeply saddened to make you aware that we have suffered the loss of two students last night. Baseball players Stephen Bartolotta and Jacob Brown were both killed in a tragic car accident," school president Dr. Susanna Baxter said in a statement.
"Coming on the heels of the team's conference championship win yesterday, this news hits our baseball players especially hard. There simply are no words."
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON foxnews.1eye.us
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The team was set to play in the NCAA Division III tournament (Charles Mann)
The Panthers (37-6) earned their fifth straight USA South Tournament title on Saturday, a school record, after securing a 10-7 victory over the N.C. Wesleyan Bishops.
The win resulted in an automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA Division III national tournament, which will begin on Friday.
Georgia State police said the crash happened when the 2015 Honda Accord being driven by Brown attempted to pass another vehicle in a no-passing zone, according to the Journal-Constitution. In doing so, Brown’s vehicle collided head-on with a 2008 GMC Sierra driven by Dunn.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The baseball players reportedly died at the scene. Dunn was transported to an area hospital and died early the following morning.
Dunn’s brother told FOX 5 Atlanta that he was killed after spending the day with his family celebrating their sister’s 28th birthday. He described him as a "loving young man" who spent his time "loving life."