ESPN announces longtime producer passed away Saturday prior to start of Winston-Salem Super Regional
ESPN has announced the death of Kyle Brown, a producer with over a decade of experience with the company. He suffered a “medical emergency,” which was why the Wake Forest vs. Alabama Super Regional opener was delayed by over two hours.
“On Saturday morning, beloved ESPN director Kyle Brown suffered a medical emergency and tragically passed away at the NCAA Baseball Super Regional in Winston-Salem, N.C,” a statement by ESPN read. “A 16-year ESPN employee, Kyle was a deeply admired member of our production team — and highly accomplished, having captured two Sports Emmy Awards while working a multitude of sports from baseball and basketball to Monday Night Football and college football.
“A former Ohio State pitcher, Kyle cherished the opportunity to have a career in sports. His ESPN family wishes to extend our deepest condolences and full support to Kyle’s loved ones, including his wife, Megan, their four children, Makayla (14), Carson (11), Camden (9) and Madyn (6), and their beloved dog Rookie.”
The statement was read on the ESPN broadcast in the moments ahead of game two of the Winston-Salem Super Regional.
According to Glenn Guilbeau of Outkick, Brown had attended a pregame meeting about the game’s coverage, which was scheduled for ESPN, right before the emergency occurred.
The game was originally slated to begin at Noon ET, but an hour before the game it was reported that the game would be postponed until 2:15 p.m. ET for “a non-game related medical event.” Fans were then let back into the building, but no official word on the specifics of what had occurred was announced.
Once the game began, Wake Forest would end up defeating Alabama 5-4 to take the 1-0 advantage in the three-game series. If the Demon Deacons can hold out and defeat the Crimson Tide on Sunday, Wake Forest will advance to its first College World Series since 1955, which is the same year they won their first and only national championship.
Alabama’s pitching staff ended the afternoon giving up five runs on seven hits — including the three home runs — while striking out 10 batters. The two teams would trade runs for the first few innings, but the top-seeded Demon Deacons were too much for Alabama.
As of this report, Wake Forest is threatening with a massive multi-run lead over the Crimson Tide, which would send the Demon Deacons to Omaha for the College World Series.