Ripken, the beloved canine mascot for NC State and the Durham Bulls, passed away on New Year’s Day.
An official statement on Ripken’s social media account confirmed that the Black Labrador Retriever died unexpectedly after “suffering complications from a serious, undiagnosed medical condition which he sadly could not recover from.”
Named after baseball great Cal Ripken Jr., Ripken was usually seen retrieving the kicking tee at NC State football games and grabbing bats after plate appearances for the Durham Bulls baseball team. He also made appearances for several other local teams, including the Holly Springs Salamanders, Carolina Hurricanes and Carolina Panthers.
His final appearance was on December 22, ten days before his death, when Ripken retrieved the kicking tee for the Panthers during their final home game of the season.
Ripken’s owners, the O’Donnell family, said on Instagram:
While we are still struggling to figure out why this happened, what we do know is that Ripken was more than a dog, he was more than a pet, he was a bright furry light that spread smiles around the world. Not only will Ripken forever be a legend here in North Carolina, but Heaven has now gained a sweet, handsome, four-legged Angel.