ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A celebration after a big win turned to heartache Saturday for Francisco Hernandez, Treven Polanco, and other Cleveland High School baseball players and coaches.

“We were all celebrating, then the head of the booster club coach Sandoval brought us all together and told us all the news. We were all heartbroken and devastated,” said Hernandez and Polanco.

The news their friend and former storm teammate, 16-year-old Owen Pagano, had died.

“We found out right before the Rio Rancho championship that there was a boating accident, and he didn’t make it,” Hernandez and Polanco said.

Law enforcement says it happened Saturday morning. Pagano drowned at Cochiti Lake.

“I didn’t even hear him say the whole thing, I just heard an accident, and he didn’t survive, and I just went on my knees and started trembling and crying,” said Hernandez and Polanco.

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

“He loved to make everybody laugh, he was always bringing light into the situation,” Hernandez and Polanco said.

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

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

On the field, he jumped at every opportunity. 

“He was willing to do whatever we asked him to, there was a Los Lunas tournament we threw him in at shortstop, he never played it, and he actually played an incredible game,” Montoya and Bency said.

Hernandez and Polanco say not only was he a great teammate, he was a great brother too with four younger siblings. 

“They all looked up to him, Owen started taking his freshman brother into the gym more,” said the coaches.

They say even though he’s gone, their friend will always inspire them to find positivity and fun no matter what. 

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

Family and friends will hold a candlelight vigil for Pagano next Wednesday, April 9 at Cibola Little League. There will be drinks and desserts for sale. All the money will go to his family, there’s also a GoFundMe page.