Zack Downey, a member of the Victoria Mariners baseball club, died over the weekend after a long battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
The Victoria Mariners announced the news on its Facebook page on Sunday.
“It is with deep sadness that at 8 a.m. this morning our Victoria Mariner Zack Downey succumbed to his valiant battle with cancer,” said the club’s statement.
“Our deepest sympathies go out to the Downey family
“Our boys are on the field in honour of their teammate, playing their hearts out at Henderson Park.”
Downey, an 18-year-old third baseman and pitcher, had been diagnosed with cancer in 2012.
Mariners manager Mike Chewpoy said Downey’s family is coping as best they can. His parents “are the greatest people,” said Chewpoy. “If you want to know how they are, just put yourself in their situation. It’s extremely difficult.”
The team is feeling the loss deeply, he added.
“Overall, he was just a good kid,” he said. “Zack would have been our third baseman and one of our top four pitchers this year. He threw a perfect game in Bantam, and throwing a perfect game is the highlight of any pitcher’s career.”
Downey helped the Mariners win the provincial championship two years ago, Chewpoy said. “Baseball was definitely his love, but he loved basketball too — he’s definitely going to be somewhere watching that Oklahoma City game tonight.”
Zack’s 13-year-old sister Brooklyn and Zack’s girlfriend came out to watch the team play Sunday morning. Brooklyn wore her brother’s jersey, Chewpoy said. “It’s a better spot for her to be than at home — a lot of people came to the ball park today because they didn’t know where else to go,” he said.
“If you were tied to Zack at all, the ballpark was the place you wanted to be today.”
Fundraisers to help the Downey family have been held by supporters at Belmont Secondary School. A trust fund is in his name at Coast Capital Savings credit union.
There was no word Sunday evening of when a memorial service might take place.
