Kyle Losse. An angel who walked among us.

Remembering Kyle Losse: A Baseball Star Who Changed a Community

The peewee diamond at Winskill Park in Tsawwassen holds a special place in the hearts of the local baseball community. On any given summer day, you can hear the crack of bats, the calls of coaches, and the cheers of parents. But for those who knew Kyle Losse, this field means something more. It's where a young star shined brightest, and where his memory continues to inspire hundreds of young athletes every year.

On January 23, 2018, the Tsawwassen baseball community lost one of its brightest talents. Kyle Losse, just 14 years old, passed away from complications of a massive stroke, leaving behind a legacy that would transform youth baseball in British Columbia.

A Natural Talent

From an early age, Kyle's athletic prowess was undeniable. He first dominated on the soccer pitch before discovering his true passion on the baseball diamond at just four years old. His mother, Niki Losse, remembers how baseball quickly became his life, with his father Brian supporting him every step of the way.

Kyle was heralded as one of the best young baseball players in the province. In his final season, he posted remarkable statistics: the most strikeouts in his division and over 19 home runs. The previous year, on July 30, 2017, he had led the Tsawwassen Athletics to the U13 AA provincial championship. His talent caught the attention of professional scouts, and he was invited to join the Arizona Diamondbacks Canadian scout team.

Cam Frick, head coach of the Delta Tigers, didn't mince words about Kyle's abilities. In coaching circles, Kyle was considered "maybe the top Grade 8 player in the province".

But it wasn't just his statistics that set Kyle apart. He had a signature move that teammates and opponents alike remember vividly: he threw so hard during games that his hat would pop right off his head. It was a visual representation of the pure power and passion he brought to every pitch.

Kyle played for both the Delta Tigers AAA team and Team B.C., representing his province with pride. As a Grade 8 student at South Delta Secondary, he was preparing for what should have been his first season with the Bantam AAA Delta Tigers when tragedy struck.

January 2018: A Community in Shock

The weekend of January 21, 2018, began like any other for the Losse family. But on Sunday night, Brian and Niki heard a loud noise from the bathroom and found their son collapsed on the floor.

Kyle was rushed to BC Children's Hospital, where doctors discovered he had suffered a devastating stroke. The coroner's report later revealed that microscopic testing showed structural changes in Kyle's vertebral arteries, indicating pre-existing vasculitis—an inflammation of blood vessels that interrupted circulation to his brain. The coroner noted that strokes are rare in children, and this type of posterior circulation stroke is even more uncommon.

On Tuesday, January 23—which was also the 15th birthday of Kyle's best friend Nate Rosser—Kyle was taken off life support. He died around lunchtime, leaving his family, teammates, and community devastated.

The Delta Tigers' Twitter account posted a simple but heartfelt message: "Today we lost an amazing young man and ballplayer. Please keep the Losse family in your thoughts and prayers. #KL14"

A Community Rallies

On a Sunday afternoon just days after Kyle's death, hundreds of people gathered at the peewee baseball diamond at Winskill Park—Kyle's favorite place. Dressed in their baseball gear, players, coaches, family, friends, and community members came together to celebrate a life cut tragically short.

"Baseball was his life, so we thought it would be fitting to celebrate his life on the diamond," Niki explained.

Neal McDonough, whose son Morgan had played with Kyle on the Tsawwassen Athletics peewee AA provincial championship team, opened the celebration. "This is what a community like this does—you support, you love, and obviously we all loved Kyle. We are gathered here at his favourite place—a baseball field. A place where he dominated not just as a hitter, not just as a pitcher, but as a leader."

Brian Losse shared memories of Kyle's early days in sports, his fierce competitiveness, and his love for the game. Kyle had also played football with the South Delta Rams, proving himself a multi-sport athlete with a bright future.

In one of the most powerful moments of the celebration, Brian called up Tsawwassen baseball president John Forbes and handed him two coaching applications. "This past season after we won provincials, many parents and players asked me if I would come back and coach. I told them I couldn't because I would be attending Kyle's practices and games," Brian explained. "As Kyle lay there on Tuesday in hospital we had a discussion. We said that he and I would coach the peewee AA team to another provincial championship. So here John are two contracts for us to coach the Tsawwassen A's."

McDonough closed the celebration by encouraging everyone to keep Kyle's memory alive. "While he was here for those 14 years he was a shining star," he said. "Everyone that he touched, everyone that he came in contact with, everyone here…our lives were better for it."

A GoFundMe page started by Ben Lock raised more than $17,000. The family committed to putting the money back into Tsawwassen baseball for tournaments in Kyle's name.

Birth of a Legacy: The Kyle Losse Memorial Tournament

The baseball community didn't just want to remember Kyle—they wanted to honor him in a way that would have made him proud. Just months after his passing, in June 2018, the first Kyle Losse Memorial Tournament was held at Winskill Park.

"This is exactly what Kyle would've wanted," Niki said about the inaugural tournament. "He would've wanted the top teams, the most competitive teams in B.C., coming together to play some great ball."

The first tournament featured 15 of the province's top Bantam teams, including nine of B.C.'s elite squads. Many had played with or against Kyle. The level of competition was exceptional, bringing together teams from both B.C. Minor and B.C. Premier leagues—associations that don't often face each other during the regular season.

Though the host Delta Tigers fell just short in the championship game, losing to the Abbotsford Cardinals 16-8, Brian Losse couldn't have been happier. "It's been fantastic. Just the calibre of baseball all weekend has been great," he said. "A lot of people have been coming up to me saying how wonderful this tournament is, along with a lot of kids who have shook my hand and said they are proud to be here."

A Tournament That Keeps Growing

What started as a single-division tournament has grown into one of the premier youth baseball events in British Columbia—and eventually, the largest AAA baseball tournament in Canada. By 2019, a Pee Wee (13U) AA Division was added, bringing all three Winskill Park diamonds into play. The tournament expanded to attract teams not just from across B.C., but from Alberta and beyond.

The 2022 tournament featured elite teams competing in both 15U and 13U divisions, with participants from as far as Calgary, Vernon, Penticton, and Campbell River. By 2023, the tournament had grown to 22 teams, making it the biggest weekend of the year for Tsawwassen Amateur Baseball.

The 2024 edition saw 25 teams compete—the largest baseball tournament in Tsawwassen's history, with games played across multiple fields and 58 games over the Canada Day long weekend. The Kyle Losse Memorial Tournament had grown to become the largest AAA baseball tournament in Canada, a fitting tribute to a player who would have competed at the highest levels.

"It was super successful. There was lots of great feedback on what an awesome tournament it was," Niki said after the 2024 event. "Big crowds all weekend and lots of support."

Changing Lives Beyond the Diamond

Kyle's impact extended far beyond tournament play. His memory inspired tangible changes in how the community supports young athletes.

Marty Lehn and Big League Experience established a scholarship in Kyle's memory in 2018, awarding winners entry to summer baseball camps. The inaugural scholarship went to Finley McConnell, who attended the Young Guns camp in August 2018.

Fourteen Athletics, an apparel company named after Kyle's jersey number, was created to honor his memory and support local baseball. The company has made contributions to Tsawwassen Baseball, ensuring Kyle's legacy continues to benefit young players in his community.

Baseball cards were printed featuring Kyle's photo on the front and his statistics from his final peewee season on the back—a touching tribute that teammates and friends still treasure.

Perhaps most significantly, Field #14 at Winskill Park was renamed and renumbered in Kyle's honor—a permanent testament to the young player who graced that diamond with his talent and spirit.

Friends Who Keep the Memory Alive

The impact of Kyle's life and legacy can be measured not just in tournaments and scholarships, but in the remarkable achievements of the teammates who played alongside him. Field #14 at Winskill Park—where Kyle spent countless hours perfecting his game—now bears his name and number, a permanent reminder of his presence.

Perhaps no one felt Kyle's loss more acutely than his best friend, Nate Rosser. The two had met when Rosser was in his second year of mosquito ball and Kyle was in his first year, playing on opposing teams.

"The first time I met him, I hit him in the back with a pitch," Rosser recalled. "Right between the numbers."

Despite that inauspicious start, they discovered they attended the same school and soon found themselves on the same Tsawwassen peewee AA rep team, coached by their fathers. They were inseparable, both on and off the field.

"We were very similar in that we were tall and athletic. I was always just a little bit better but he was also a year younger than me," Rosser said. "We would just go to the park and hit for three hours or we would throw. We probably spent 90 percent of our time together for a couple of summers anyways. There were lots of sleepovers too."

They played an estimated 100 games together on what is now Field #14.

Rosser was visiting Jamaica with his family in January 2018, celebrating his 15th birthday, when he got word that Kyle was on life support. Kyle died later that day at 2:22 p.m.

"When it first happened I didn't believe it. It took a while for it to set in. It was hard," Rosser said.

"I try to dedicate everything I do in baseball to him," Rosser said months later while competing at the Cowichan 2018 BC Summer Games.

That night, Rosser designed a memorial glove complete with Kyle's number 14 and the dates of his birth and death. He still wears it when he pitches, with Kyle's initials and number embroidered on it. He also helped design the MVP glove for the inaugural Kyle Losse Memorial Tournament. The Losse family presented him with Kyle's favorite bat—a treasured gift he carries with him. Rosser has gotten a tattoo in memory of his friend, with plans for a second.

"Everything I do in baseball now I always think about him," Rosser said while standing on Field #14. "He would be on my team right now. I know it. It's still hard to think he is not here playing with me."

"Everything stopped working," Rosser said about Kyle's stroke. "It just happened."

Rosser's dedication to Kyle's memory helped fuel his own baseball career. The 6-foot-4 right-handed pitcher went on to play for Ohlone Junior College in Fremont, California—one of the top junior college baseball programs in the country—before transferring to play Division 1 baseball at Butler University in the United States, carrying Kyle's legacy with him to every game. That two best friends who started with a pitch between the numbers would both reach such heights in baseball speaks to the talent and determination they shared—and to Kyle's enduring inspiration.

Kyle's parents, Niki and Brian, have watched Rosser's journey with pride. "We are honored that Kyle continues to be an inspiration to you and are so proud of your accomplishments," they told him. "It's always been our goal to inspire future athletes to continue to chase their dreams to the fullest—just like Kyle would have."

A Coach's Promise Fulfilled

For Cam Frick, the Delta Tigers' head coach, keeping Kyle's memory alive became a mission. The annual tournament provided a perfect opportunity to showcase the kind of competitive, high-level baseball that Kyle loved.

"The Losse family have done a great job putting on a great tournament," Frick said. "We are helping out and there are lots of volunteers from Tsawwassen Baseball stepping up too. The best teams want to be here."

But perhaps the most touching tribute came from Kyle's father, Brian. True to the promise he made to his son as Kyle lay in the hospital, Brian returned to coaching. At the celebration of life, he had presented coaching applications for both himself and Kyle to coach the Tsawwassen A's peewee AA team to another provincial championship.

Years later, that commitment continued. In 2025, Brian served as assistant coach for the Delta Blue Jays at the Kyle Losse Memorial Tournament, a tournament his family helped create. His presence on the bench was a testament to a father's love and a promise kept.

But perhaps Brian's most remarkable coaching achievement came in 2023, when he led another Tsawwassen Athletics team, this one featuring his younger son Tyler, to the U13 AA provincial championship. The victory was especially meaningful: it came on July 30, 2023, exactly six years to the day after Kyle's team had won the same championship on July 30, 2017. Tyler and Kyle, brothers six years apart, both stood as U13 AA provincial champions on the exact same date.

Tyler wears number 14, Kyle's number, which has been retired by Tsawwassen Baseball. He is the only player allowed to wear it, continuing to play in his brother's honor with every game.

The 2023 championship team also won the Kyle Losse Memorial Tournament that year, bringing the trophy home to the tournament named after Tyler's brother. It was a storybook moment that showed how Kyle's legacy had come full circle, inspiring not just his teammates and friends, but continuing through his own family.

The 2023 championship team also won the Kyle Losse Memorial Tournament that year, bringing the trophy home to the tournament named after Tyler's brother. It was a storybook moment that showed how Kyle's legacy had come full circle—inspiring not just his teammates and friends, but continuing through his own family.

The Tournament's Finest Moments

Over the years, the Kyle Losse Memorial Tournament has produced countless memorable moments. The 2019 event attracted elite teams from across the province, with the host Tigers entering with a B.C. Minor-best 30-3 record.

Ryan Heppner, a close friend of Kyle's who went on to play baseball at UBC, was presented with the tournament MVP award by the Losse family—a full-circle moment that embodied the tournament's spirit. Heppner's baseball journey would continue to new heights when he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves, a testament to the caliber of talent that played alongside Kyle and continues to honor his memory.

In 2022, the Richmond City Baseball Chuckers captured gold in the 13U division with a dramatic walk-off home run in the semifinals and a championship victory fueled by excellent pitching.

The 2025 tournament saw the Delta Blue Jays go undefeated with a perfect 6-0 record, winning the bantam title in dominating fashion—scoring 29 runs in round-robin play while allowing just one. The championship came during a special weekend for coach Cam Frick, who was at the hospital for the birth of his first child while his team captured the title.

"The Losse family means a lot to me, means a lot to this community and Tsawwassen baseball," Frick said. "It was pretty cool to have Brian on the bench."

More Than Just Baseball

What makes the Kyle Losse Memorial Tournament special isn't just the high level of competition—though with teams traveling from Calgary, Vancouver Island, and across the Lower Mainland, the baseball is exceptional. It's the sense of community and purpose that permeates every game.

"It's been tough for everyone," Niki said five months after Kyle's passing. "We'd get a lot of comments saying the kids miss seeing him out there on the mound."

The tournament gives players a chance to honor Kyle's memory while competing at the highest level. It brings communities together over a shared love of baseball and a shared commitment to remembering a remarkable young man.

Parents volunteer countless hours. Coaches emphasize not just skill development but sportsmanship and character—the qualities that made Kyle special. And every year, the Winskill Park concession stand hums with activity as families gather to watch the next generation of baseball stars, knowing that Kyle's spirit is present in every pitch, every swing, every play.

An Enduring Legacy

Seven years after his passing, Kyle Losse's impact on British Columbia youth baseball is undeniable. What began as a community's grief has transformed into a celebration of life, talent, and the enduring power of sport to bring people together.

The numbers tell part of the story: seven annual tournaments, hundreds of teams, thousands of players who have competed in Kyle's name. A tournament that grew to become the largest AAA baseball event in Canada. Teammates who went on to play Division 1 baseball and get drafted to Major League organizations. Scholarships awarded, funds raised, lives touched.

But the real story is in the intangibles. It's in Nate Rosser's memorial glove, worn with pride every time he takes the mound, now at the Division 1 level at Butler University. It's in Ryan Heppner's journey from tournament MVP to being drafted by the Atlanta Braves. It's in Brian Losse fulfilling a bedside promise to his son by returning to coach. It's in Tyler Losse becoming a U13 AA provincial champion on the exact same date as his brother, six years later. It's in the teammates who still talk about Kyle's infectious laugh and competitive spirit. It's in the young players who wear #14 in his honor, and in the baseball cards that capture a moment frozen in time. It's in Field #14 at Winskill Park, where Kyle's name and number now mark the diamond where he played so many games with his friends.

It's in Niki Losse's words at the celebration of life: "Your laugh was contagious, your curiosity was never ending and your love made our house a home. Baseball soon became your passion and your dad was behind you every step of the way. I could go on and on and talk about your baseball accomplishments, but everyone here knows you were our MVP. Kyle you will never know how proud I was to be a part of your life. You made me a better person. You will live forever in our hearts and forever in this community."

Neal McDonough was right when he said at Kyle's celebration of life: "While he was here for those 14 years he was a shining star. Everyone that he touched, everyone that he came in contact with, everyone here…our lives were better for it."

Kyle Losse played baseball for only 10 years—starting when he was just four years old—but his legacy will inspire generations of young athletes. Every Canada Day weekend, when teams gather at Winskill Park for the Kyle Losse Memorial Tournament, they're not just playing baseball. They're honoring a young man who showed them what it means to play with passion, lead with heart, and leave everything on the field.

They're keeping the memory alive of an angel who walked among us.

The Kyle Losse Memorial Tournament continues annually over Canada Day weekend at Winskill Park in Tsawwassen, BC. For more information about the tournament or the Kyle Losse scholarship, contact Tsawwassen Amateur Baseball Association.

#KL14