The Auckland Tuatara baseball club's players will carry a reminder of their lost team-mate throughout the upcoming Australian National Baseball League season.
Ryan Costello. Photo: Photosport
American third baseman Ryan Costello was found dead on Monday morning in his room at Massey University, where the team had been staying.
Preliminary indications are that he died in his sleep of natural causes.
The sudden death of the 23-year-old has left the club "totally devastated" according to club chairman Noel Davies.
"We will be doing things to recognise this loss and to recognise Ryan, we will be putting his initials on the shirts for the whole of the season," Davies said.
Players will also honour Costello in a pre-game ceremony before the game at North Harbour Stadium.
Manager Stephen Mintz said his players were confident that they wanted play the series against Perth which has four games from Thursday to Sunday.
Costello's Connecticut-based parents will travel to New Zealand and travel back to the United States with the Minnesota Twins prospect.
The Auckland Tuatara has received support from far and wide.
"We've been overwhelmed with support from the baseball community both locally and internationally, the sporting community as a whole and baseball supporters across the world," Davies said.
Costello left a lasting impact on the club which he arrived at only a week ago.
Club chief executive Regan Wood remembered a player with a can-do attitude who was prepared to anything asked of him at his new club.
"It was a short space of time but he made a impact and he was a class young man, absolutely, and I don't give that out lightly, he was amazing," Wood said.
