A 20-year-old George Mason University baseball pitcher died after suffering complications from a Tommy John surgery, his close friends announced. Sang Ho Baek, who recently finished his freshman year at the Virginia university where he planned to major in biology, passed away on Saturday, June 12, following the fairly common procedure. “We are devastated by the passing of Sang,” his coach Bill Brown said in a statement. “Sang was an incredible teammate who was loved by everyone associated with Mason baseball. He will be missed and forever cherished in our hearts. Right now, our thoughts are with Sang's family at this unbearably difficult time.”

The Tommy John surgery repairs damage to elbow ligaments, named after left-handed pitcher Tommy John, who was the first to undergo the procedure in 1974. Baek had played seven games for the Patriots, according to his player bio.

A GoFundMe launched by his friends to help his grieving family with costs has raised nearly $20,000.