Fresno man dies after competing in taco-eating contest

 (Photo by David L. Ryan/Getty Images)

Authorities say a man died shortly after competing in a taco-eating contest at a minor league baseball game.

Fresno Sheriff spokesman Tony Botti says 41-year-old Dana Hutchings, of Fresno, died Tuesday night shortly after arriving at a hospital.

Botti says an autopsy on Hutchings will be done to determine a cause of death. It was not immediately known how many tacos the man had eaten, or whether he had won the contest.

Fresno Grizzlies spokesman Derek Franks did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press. 

KFSN-TV reports Tuesday night's competition allowed amateurs to qualify for Saturday's World Taco Eating Championship to be held at Fresno's annual Taco Truck Throwdown.

During the 2018 Taco Eating Championship in Fresno, professional eater Geoff Esper downed 73 tacos in eight minutes.