Beloved Georgia baseball coach dies after collapsing on the field during game

BARTOW COUNTY, Ga. - A beloved metro Atlanta baseball coach is being remembered after he collapsed on the diamond and died in the middle of a game on Friday in Bartow County.

"The whole ballpark went silent. I mean, it was eerie. It was scary," said Sam Ray, the head coach for DC Academy’s 14U travel baseball team. 

Ray says his assistant coach Doug Davis collapsed during a game Friday night at Lake Point Sports in Emerson and died due to a massive heart attack. 

Davis was 47 years old.

"It was something that you never want to be a part of. My son - he was a witness to it. Doug's son was a witness to it. The whole team was a witness to it," Ray said. 

Coach Doug Davis

Ray had coached the team together with Davis for three years while their sons played for the team.

He says they became very close during that time.

"I loved him like a brother. I was fortunate enough to be right there by his side when it happened. That's one memory I will never forget," Ray said. 

Ray says Davis was an incredible coach and mentor to the boys of the 14U team.

"His heart was full of gold. He loved the boys. He loved being around the boys, in particular, he loved being around his own son," Ray said. 

Jeff Owens was coaching the opposing team that night, the Canes Sports 14U team.

"It was a scary moment. It's hard to put in words," Owens said. 

He says immediately after it happened his players encircled the DC Academy players and began to pray with them. 

"My kids showed love immediately … it was a beautiful thing to see during a thing that was very hard to be a part of," Owens said. 

The Canes team and other coaches held a devotional in honor of Davis on Saturday where they joined together in prayer for him and his family.

"The baseball family is very large here in North Georgia. Everybody knows everybody who plays baseball....we thought it was the right thing to do to bring those families together, to show support, to show love," Owens said. 

Ray says that meant so much to him, his team, and Davis' family.

"It was just really good to see the baseball community come together and pray for him and then pray for the family. Trying to do what it takes just to help each other," Ray said. 

He’s asking people to continue to pray for the Davis family. 

And Ray says his boys will be playing extra hard the rest of this season just like Coach Davis would've wanted them to.

Funeral services for Davis will take place Monday afternoon.