Nate Rosser isnsa国际传媒檛 just playing for the Vancouver Coastal (Zone 5) baseball team at the Cowichan 2018 BC Summer Games.

Hesa国际传媒檚 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. sa国际传媒� Rossersa国际传媒檚 15th birthday sa国际传媒� two days after suffering an unexpected stroke.

sa国际传媒淚 try to dedicate everything I do in baseball to him,sa国际传媒� Rosser said, shortly after his Vancouver-Coastal team was edged by Vancouver Island-Central Coast in a round-robin game at Duncansa国际传媒檚 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.

sa国际传媒淭he first time I met him, I hit him in the back with a pitch,sa国际传媒� Rosser recalled. sa国际传媒淩ight between the numbers.sa国际传媒�

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.

sa国际传媒淲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,sa国际传媒� Rosser said, gesturing to the nearby mosquito diamond at Evans Park. sa国际传媒淧laying in Duncan at provincials.sa国际传媒�

Rosser moved up to peewee the following year, while Losse continued to play mosquito, although it wasnsa国际传媒檛 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 Rossersa国际传媒檚. The boys carpooled, hung out after games and had sleepovers on nights before they played.

sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檇 tell our parents we went to bed at midnight when it was really 2 or 3 a.m,sa国际传媒� Rosser said. sa国际传媒淭hat was when we became very close friends. He started to become a very good ball player.sa国际传媒�

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

sa国际传媒淗e demolished the stats,sa国际传媒� Rosser said. sa国际传媒淚 think he hit 18 home runs. He was definitely one of the best players on any ballfield he played on.sa国际传媒�

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.

sa国际传媒淗e would be on this team,sa国际传媒� 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 coronersa国际传媒檚 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.

sa国际传媒淓verything stopped working,sa国际传媒� Rosser said. sa国际传媒淚t just happened.sa国际传媒�

That night, Rosser designed a glove in Lossesa国际传媒檚 memory, one that he still wears to pitch, complete with Lossesa国际传媒檚 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.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 beat up because itsa国际传媒檚 always in my pocket,sa国际传媒� he said.

Lossesa国际传媒檚 parents also gave Rosser their sonsa国际传媒檚 bat, which Rosser brought to the Cowichan Valley.

sa国际传媒淭he bat is two inches smaller that what I use,sa国际传媒� Rosser noted. sa国际传媒淚 always gave him a hard time for using a shorter bat, but he was always crushing righties with it.sa国际传媒�

Rosser called his Summer Games experience sa国际传媒済reat, amazing,sa国际传媒� but still wishes Losse could be there as well.

sa国际传媒淚 always think hesa国际传媒檇 be having such a good time here,sa国际传媒� Rosser said. sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 a good atmosphere; everyone is having a good time. Itsa国际传媒檚 nice to meet new players. Isa国际传媒檝e never played with any of the other guys before. Itsa国际传媒檚 a good team; theysa国际传媒檙e good guys.sa国际传媒�

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