Kristian Thanapalan, 22, died at Sunnybrook Hospital shortly after being attacked at a Scarborough park. (CBC)

Toronto police have appealed to a group of about 20 men to turn themselves in after another man was beaten to death with baseball and cricket bats in a fight between Tamil-Canadians.

Kristian Thanapalan, 22, and five friends were swarmed by the larger group in a school parking lot near Kennedy Road and Highway 401, in suburban Scarborough, early Saturday morning.

Thanapalan died at Sunnybrook Hospital shortly after the beating.

At a news conference at police headquarters Monday afternoon Det.-Sgt. Savas Kyriacou said "it was just a bunch of friends getting together" to play volleyball.

Police explained that Thanapalan and his friends were finishing their game at about 12:15 a.m. when they were approached by 15 to 20 men who attacked them wielding the heavy bats.

Several of the men in the smaller group suffered minor injuries while Thanapalan was critically injured by blows to his head.

The reason for the attack remains a mystery.

Both playing games

Police said Thanapalan and his friends had been playing volleyball near another group of men who were playing cricket.

Kyriacou did not say if there had been a verbal exchange between the two groups, but he did suggest ethnic tensions may be at the root of the violence.

"Both groups were members of the Tamil Canada community," said Kyriacou.

He appealed for those involved and others in the community who might have information to "do the right thing" and come forward.