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

He含羞草研究社檚 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. 含羞草研究社� Rosser含羞草研究社檚 15th birthday 含羞草研究社� two days after suffering an unexpected stroke.

含羞草研究社淚 try to dedicate everything I do in baseball to him,含羞草研究社� Rosser said, shortly after his Vancouver-Coastal team was edged by Vancouver Island-Central Coast in a round-robin game at Duncan含羞草研究社檚 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.

含羞草研究社淭he first time I met him, I hit him in the back with a pitch,含羞草研究社� Rosser recalled. 含羞草研究社淩ight between the numbers.含羞草研究社�

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.

含羞草研究社淲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,含羞草研究社� Rosser said, gesturing to the nearby mosquito diamond at Evans Park. 含羞草研究社淧laying in Duncan at provincials.含羞草研究社�

Rosser moved up to peewee the following year, while Losse continued to play mosquito, although it wasn含羞草研究社檛 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含羞草研究社檚. The boys carpooled, hung out after games and had sleepovers on nights before they played.

含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檇 tell our parents we went to bed at midnight when it was really 2 or 3 a.m,含羞草研究社� Rosser said. 含羞草研究社淭hat was when we became very close friends. He started to become a very good ball player.含羞草研究社�

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

含羞草研究社淗e demolished the stats,含羞草研究社� Rosser said. 含羞草研究社淚 think he hit 18 home runs. He was definitely one of the best players on any ballfield he played on.含羞草研究社�

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.

含羞草研究社淗e would be on this team,含羞草研究社� 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含羞草研究社檚 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.

含羞草研究社淓verything stopped working,含羞草研究社� Rosser said. 含羞草研究社淚t just happened.含羞草研究社�

That night, Rosser designed a glove in Losse含羞草研究社檚 memory, one that he still wears to pitch, complete with Losse含羞草研究社檚 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.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 beat up because it含羞草研究社檚 always in my pocket,含羞草研究社� he said.

Losse含羞草研究社檚 parents also gave Rosser their son含羞草研究社檚 bat, which Rosser brought to the Cowichan Valley.

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

Rosser called his Summer Games experience 含羞草研究社済reat, amazing,含羞草研究社� but still wishes Losse could be there as well.

含羞草研究社淚 always think he含羞草研究社檇 be having such a good time here,含羞草研究社� Rosser said. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 a good atmosphere; everyone is having a good time. It含羞草研究社檚 nice to meet new players. I含羞草研究社檝e never played with any of the other guys before. It含羞草研究社檚 a good team; they含羞草研究社檙e good guys.含羞草研究社�

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