Justin Trumpet
news@greenepublishing.com
It's been a year since the tragic loss of Dakota Patrick Hagan. Dakota was a senior at Aucilla Christian Academy (ACA) who was 18 when he unexpectedly passed away from natural causes on Feb. 5, 2022.
On Feb. 10, 2023, the ACA Warriors had a Lead Off Dinner ceremony in which they presented a customized baseball chest protector/strap with Dakota's name on it. The school held two ceremonies that day: The first recognizing Dakota, and the second presenting the Aucilla JV & Varsity baseball players with their jerseys.
Before his death, Dakota played the position of catcher at Aucilla for the varsity baseball team. When asked about the impact of the chest protector/strap with Dakota’s name on it, ACA Athletic Director Willy Gamalero said, “We want to honor him throughout this season.”
The chest protector/strap, honoring Dakota, will be worn by the Warriors’ catcher this season.