Osburn is an inspiration to his teammates

The UA baseball team will begin the 2001 season in Hilo, Hawaii on Thursday without one key player, Kelsey Osburn.

Osburn, 20, who played mostly second base for the Wildcats for the past two seasons, died July 17, 2000 after being struck by a baseball during batting practice while playing for the Newark Raptors of the Northeast Collegiate Baseball League.

"The guys are very dedicated in playing the season in his honor," Arizona head coach Jerry Stitt said at the team's annual media day yesterday. "Not a day goes by when the guys don't mention his name."