700 days.

       That’s how long it’s been since the beloved baseball player Avrey Joseph Rose passed away.

       “It felt like we lost a brother,” senior Bryce Masterson said.

    Avrey wasn’t able to participate his senior year because of a back injury, but that didn’t stop him from being involved with the team as a manager. And according to the players, he was just as much of a player as any of them on the team.

    “When I heard what happened to him, I thought someone was lying,” class of 2015 graduate, Vince Essig said. “I didn’t believe that could happen to Avrey.”

    On the baseball team’s yearly trip down to

Tennessee in 2015 to kick off their season in some games, they left without two players: Avrey and his best friend Will Plummer, because they hadn’t shown up. Hours later, their coach got a phone call.

    “About two hours in the bus ride, Coach [Justin] Keever told us Avrey was in the hospital and in really bad shape,” Masterson said. “I don’t think anyone registered what was happening. [Avery had an accident]”

    When they arrived at the field in Tennessee, the team came to the conclusion that Avrey wasn’t going to make it to any more games. He wasn’t going to make it to Tennessee. He wasn’t going to make it through the night.

    “I don’t think one player on our team held in tears before the game,” Masterson said. “It seemed like it wasn’t even a game. No one was worried about it, we all just worried about Avrey and what had happened.”

    After the game, the team got the exact news they didn’t want: Avrey had died.

    “Later that evening, Coach Keever asked us if we all wanted to go home or play the rest of the games on the trip,” Masterson said. “We ended up staying, but I think every person on the team cried ourselves to sleep that night.”

    After that day the team dedicated the rest of their season to Avery. They played for him.

    “Anyone who was apart of the team will remember what happened and him forever.” Masterson said.

    According to Avrey’s father, Jeffrey Rose, after his son’s death the school baseball team remembering him by honored his number, 00.

    “We painted his number on the field,” class of 2016 graduate, Michael Carmosino said. “And stitched his name on the back of our hats.”

    The coaches and teammates said Avrey was a person who made his teammates feel important. According to the baseball team, he had a lot of heart and a lot of character.

    “To this day, I still carry the baseball card given at his funeral in my wallet. His hat given to us to remember sits at the top of all my trophies, so I can remember him,” Masterson said.

    Assistant baseball coach Caleb Small has his own special way of remembering Avrey. Small has a picture of the JV baseball team on his desk at home, the team Avrey was on in 2014. Small says every now and then when he glances at the picture he takes a minute to bow his head and say a prayer about Avrey to his family.

    It’s been 700 days. In case anyone was wondering.