Thursday, October 1, 2026
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Lawndale, NC (WNN) - Friday night’s scheduled NCHSAA 4A quarter-final game in Lawndale, NC, between the Stuart W. Cramer Storm and the Burns Bulldogs was postponed due to tragic circumstances. Cramer assistant coach Casey McMillen collapsed suddenly during pregame warmups, and attempts to revive him were unsuccessful. Representatives from both schools met and decided to postpone the game until Saturday, May 16, at 7 pm. Support and condolences began pouring in immediately through social media accounts. A post on the Burns High School Baseball Facebook account expressed it very well:
“We will compete between the lines, but how you treat each other outside of the lines is paramount.”
- Burns High School
As the players from the Storm were taking their final pregame warmups, approximately 30 minutes before the first pitch, Coach McMillen suddenly passed out and collapsed on the field. Emergency personnel repeatedly tried to revive McMillen with CPR and other efforts. Their attempts were unsuccessful, and the coach was pronounced dead at the scene. There was initial speculation that he might have suffered a massive heart attack; no official cause has been confirmed nor released. Players, coaches, and spectators were all left stunned. Counselors were called in to help players from both teams process what they had witnessed. Due to tragic circumstances, the game was postponed. Unfortunately, tight playoff scheduling means the game will need to be made up on Saturday, May 16.
Casey McMillen, a native of Ringgold, Georgia, lived in Gastonia, NC. He was a beloved teacher at Mt Holly Middle School and a member of the baseball coaching staff for both the Junior Varsity and Varsity teams at Stuart W. Cramer High School. Coaches and teachers are often mentors to their students and players; thus, such a tragedy affects not only the family but also the students and athletes who consider them their extended family.
The situation is even more tragic, considering McMillen had married in April and was preparing for the birth of a daughter in about five weeks.
The game is scheduled for Saturday, May 16, 2026. The Burns Bulldogs and Cramer Storm have battled all season for bragging rights in the Southern Piedmont 2A/3A/4A Conference. Now they are meeting once again with the winner punching their ticket to the 4A West Regionals next week. The Storm is in the midst of the 13-year-old school’s best season in history. They are enjoying their first 20-win season and deepest playoff run. At 21-5, the team is on a 5-game winning streak. The Burns Bulldogs are 22-3 and enjoying a 12-game win streak.
All this pales in comparison to the tragic passing of a beloved coach. The teams undoubtedly will be playing with heavy hearts. Some things transcend the game, and this is one of those. The other area schools have offered words of encouragement and support. No matter how fierce the on-field competition gets, off the field, these players have a bond, akin to family. Emotions will be running high for both fans and players before the game. After the first pitch, players from the Storm will focus on honoring their coach with their play. As the Stuart Cramer Storm dedicates the rest of their season to the memory of their coach, if they can find comfort in any of this, it is remembering that Casey McMillen’s last minutes on this earth were spent doing what he truly loved.
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