Sang Ho Baeck, a Salisbury resident, died on June 12 due to complications from ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, according to the Virginia university’s athletics department.
“Sang was an incredible teammate who was loved by everyone associated with Mason baseball,” he said.
In Tommy John surgery — named for the then-Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher who underwent the first such procedure in 1974 — a tendon from elsewhere on the body is used to replace a damaged ligament in the elbow.
Baeck made his collegiate baseball debut for George Mason University in March during a showdown against University of Maryland-Baltimore County.
Baeck participated in the youth group and played drums for the worship band at Korean Presbyterian Church; during a mission trip to Nicaragua in 2018, he helped build homes for indigenous people and preached to children, the obituary stated.