Family, friends to honor the baseball player from Cleveland HS killed in the boat accident

Albuerque, NM – a holiday after a big victory turned on Saturdays for heart pain for Francisco Hernandez, Treven Polanco and other baseball players and baseball coaches from Cleveland High School.

“We all celebrate, then the head of the coach of the Booster Sandoval club brought us all and told us all the news. We were all perfect and devastated,” said Hernandez and Polanco.

The news that their friend and former storm team, Owen Pagano, 16, died.

“I found out just before the Rio Rancho championship that there was a navigation accident and he failed,” Hernandez and Polanco said.

The law enforcement says it happened on Saturday morning. Pagano drowned at Lake Cochiti.

“I didn’t even hear it, I only heard an accident and did not survive and I just went to my knees and started to tremble and cry,” said Hernandez and Polanco.

While some say three are a lot, Hernandez and Polanco can’t imagine anything less. Owen brought jokes to their trio.

“He liked to make everyone laugh, he always brought light to the situation,” Hernandez and Polanco said.

Cleveland baseball coaches, Robert Montoya and Ted Bency, trained Pagano for two years.

“Whether he was fighting or doing great, the child always had a smile on his face,” Montoya and Bency said.

On the ground, he jumped every occasion.

“He was willing to do everything I asked for, there was a Los Lunas tournament that I threw in short, he never played and actually played an incredible game,” Montoya and Bency said.

Hernandez and Polanco say that not only was a big teammate, he was also a big brother with four younger brothers.

“They all looked at him, Owen began to carry his brother’s brother in the room,” the coaches said.

They say that, although they left, their friend will always inspire them to find positivity and fun, regardless of the situation.

“Even in hard times, you have to push and be happy that you have the opportunities you have,” said Hernandez and Polanco.

Family and friends will organize a wake in the light of candles for Pagano on Wednesday, April 9, at Cibola Little League. There will be drinks and desserts for sale. All the money will go to his family, there is also a Page Gofundme.