Nate Rosser isn害羞草研究所檛 just playing for the Vancouver Coastal (Zone 5) baseball team at the Cowichan 2018 BC Summer Games.

He害羞草研究所檚 also playing for the memory of his best friend, Kyle Losse, who died in January at the age of 14.

Rosser and Losse were best friends off the field and frequent teammates on it. 害羞草研究所� Rosser害羞草研究所檚 15th birthday 害羞草研究所� two days after suffering an unexpected stroke.

害羞草研究所淚 try to dedicate everything I do in baseball to him,害羞草研究所� Rosser said, shortly after his Vancouver-Coastal team was edged by Vancouver Island-Central Coast in a round-robin game at Duncan害羞草研究所檚 Evans Park.

The boys first met when Rosser was in his second year of mosquito ball and Losse was in his first year. They played on opposing teams that season.

害羞草研究所淭he first time I met him, I hit him in the back with a pitch,害羞草研究所� Rosser recalled. 害羞草研究所淩ight between the numbers.害羞草研究所�

It turned out the boys attended the same school, although they were a grade apart. Later that same season, they found each other on the same Tsawwassen peewee AA rep team, which their fathers coached.

害羞草研究所淲e started to become very good friends. We would joke around together because we were two of the best players on the team. Our best memories were probably on that field,害羞草研究所� Rosser said, gesturing to the nearby mosquito diamond at Evans Park. 害羞草研究所淧laying in Duncan at provincials.害羞草研究所�

Rosser moved up to peewee the following year, while Losse continued to play mosquito, although it wasn害羞草研究所檛 unusual for Losse to get called up to the peewee squad. When Rosser was in his second year of peewee and Losse was in his first year, Losse tried out for the AAA rep team, and made it, no small feat for a first-year player.

That year, Losse also moved to a new house about a two-minute walk from Rosser害羞草研究所檚. The boys carpooled, hung out after games and had sleepovers on nights before they played.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檇 tell our parents we went to bed at midnight when it was really 2 or 3 a.m,害羞草研究所� Rosser said. 害羞草研究所淭hat was when we became very close friends. He started to become a very good ball player.害羞草研究所�

Rosser moved up to bantam the following year, while Losse remained in peewee, where he dominated the league.

害羞草研究所淗e demolished the stats,害羞草研究所� Rosser said. 害羞草研究所淚 think he hit 18 home runs. He was definitely one of the best players on any ballfield he played on.害羞草研究所�

They were waiting this year to see what level Losse played when Losse died. Rosser is certain they would have been playing together at the BC Summer Games.

害羞草研究所淗e would be on this team,害羞草研究所� Rosser said.

Rosser was visiting Jamaica with his family in January when he got word, on his birthday, that Losse was on life support. Losse died later that day, at 2:22 p.m. A coroner害羞草研究所檚 report recently revealed that he suffered a stroke, most likely caused by fibromuscular dysplasia, a disease of the blood vessels that causes abnormal growth within the wall of an artery.

害羞草研究所淓verything stopped working,害羞草研究所� Rosser said. 害羞草研究所淚t just happened.害羞草研究所�

That night, Rosser designed a glove in Losse害羞草研究所檚 memory, one that he still wears to pitch, complete with Losse害羞草研究所檚 No. 14, and the dates of his birth and death. When Losse died, baseball cards were printed with his photo on the front and the stats from his last year of peewee on the back. Rosser still keeps one of those cards on him.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 beat up because it害羞草研究所檚 always in my pocket,害羞草研究所� he said.

Losse害羞草研究所檚 parents also gave Rosser their son害羞草研究所檚 bat, which Rosser brought to the Cowichan Valley.

害羞草研究所淭he bat is two inches smaller that what I use,害羞草研究所� Rosser noted. 害羞草研究所淚 always gave him a hard time for using a shorter bat, but he was always crushing righties with it.害羞草研究所�

Rosser called his Summer Games experience 害羞草研究所済reat, amazing,害羞草研究所� but still wishes Losse could be there as well.

害羞草研究所淚 always think he害羞草研究所檇 be having such a good time here,害羞草研究所� Rosser said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a good atmosphere; everyone is having a good time. It害羞草研究所檚 nice to meet new players. I害羞草研究所檝e never played with any of the other guys before. It害羞草研究所檚 a good team; they害羞草研究所檙e good guys.害羞草研究所�

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