The Cheyenne Mountain baseball team will try and win a state championship while honoring a fallen teammate

There's something special going on with the Cheyenne Mountain baseball team. It's more than hitting or fielding. It's the extra boost they get from their former teammate Josh Collier, "He was one of those kids that was essential to the roster because he had that energy in the dugout. He was always cheering you on. Josh is one of those kids that might not hit the most home runs, had the highest batting average, but he was one of those kids that you wanted on your team," says Cheyenne Mountain senior, Denton Damgaard.

Josh Collier was killed in a car accident in 2020 along with his father and brother while they were on their way to attend the World Series. Last year, his mom, Becky, and his sister, Emily, threw out the first pitches before a game.

At the baseball field, Josh's picture is up with the rest of the 2020 senior class. The team wears patches on their uniforms with his initials. Becky is still involved with the program. She spoke with the players before the season, and had something special for the team, “At the beginning of the season she came and gave us Josh’s jersey, and Josh’s glove. We just bring it everywhere we go just to bring a little bit of him with us, and remind us to play the game with joy,” says Cheyenne Mountain senior, Connor Frickey. “I bring the glove and jersey every game, says Damgaard. "Mrs. Collier asked me to do that at the beginning of the season. I set it on the rack up there, and I put his glove right above.” “His glove has something interesting on it. It’s inscribed ‘Sexy Man Beast’. It’s a little funny thing that we love to laugh about," says Frickey. “Josh was a great representation of Cheyenne Mountain, and to honor him was definitely something we wanted to do,” says Damgaard.

This postseason is about more than the games. It's about honoring Josh, “It’s definitely pretty special. We finished pretty hot last year with him on our minds. We’re hopefully gonna go out and do it again, and maybe bring home a state championship for him,” says Frickey.