NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—Patrick Awosogba, a Rutgers University freshman, recently passed away after collapsing during a recreational basketball game on February 22.

Awosogba collapsed around 2 PM at the Rutgers University Cook/Douglass recreation center.

Lifeguards immediately administrated CPR, and Rutgers Emergency Medical Technicians showed up soon after. Police officers also arrived on the scene.

E.J Miranda, the Rutgers University spokesperson, said emergency services provided CPR and electronic defibrillation on the scene before transferring Awosogba to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.

Awosogba died at about 3:15 PM in the hospital.

He was an active member of TWESE, the Organization for African Students & Friends of Africa at Rutgers University.

An East Brunswick resident, Patrick Awosogba played with various baseball teams from ages 5 to 17, including the East Brunswick High School Bears.

He played as a reserve outfielder on Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division championship baseball team and was loved and respected by coaches and friends alike.

Awosogba was a first-year student registered in Rutgers University’s School of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Temitope Awosogba, Patrick Awosogba’s sister and a resident physician in Boston, said that Patrick might have suffered with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

The rare heart condition is one where an irregular heartbeat is caused by the thickening of the heart muscle, and it often goes undiagnosed

While rare, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a well-known cause of death for younger people.  The exact cause of death has not been detemined yet.

Rutgers is providing counseling for any student who desires it through the Deans of each campus and through Counseling, ADAP, and Psychiatric Services.

Reporter at New Brunswick Today