FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Monday, April 10, 2017 Cooper nabs GNAC Pitcher of the Week after 12-k performance
Reaching a career milestone with a dozen strikeouts last week, Cody Cooper becomes the sixth pitcher in GNAC history to record 200 in a career and is named the GNAC Pitcher of the Week Monday. PORTLAND, Ore. – Pitching his way into the Great Northwest Athletic Conference record books last week, Montana State University Billings senior Cody Cooper became the sixth pitcher in conference history to reach 200 career strikeouts and has been named the GNAC Pitcher of the Week announced the conference office Monday. “It was good to see Coop go out and throw well, and this is a well-deserved honor for him,” said MSUB head coach Aaron Sutton. “It was his best outing of the season, and he has been putting in work off the field. It’s good to see him reap the benefits of that.” Cooper was one off his career high with a dozen Ks in a complete-game win over Northwest Nazarene University on Sunday, helping MSUB to a series split with the Crusaders. The right-hander threw a career-high 149 pitches in MSUB’s 14-4 triumph, logging his first 9-inning complete game of the year and the third of his career.
It was Cooper’s seventh-career 10-strikeout game and his first of 2017. He upped his career strikeout total to 206, and he remains No. 2 in MSUB history and No. 6 in GNAC history. Cooper’s 12 strikeouts were the second-most in a game in the GNAC this season, as he was one-behind Mackenzie Gaul’s mark of 13 for Central Washington on March 4 vs. Saint Martin’s. Cooper leads the team and ranks third in the GNAC with 42 strikeouts this season, averaging 7.09 per game. This marks the third-career GNAC Pitcher of the Week honor for Cooper, who earned the award once as a sophomore in 2015 and once as a junior in 2016. It is the fifth weekly honor for the ‘Jackets this season, and third Pitcher of the Week award as Cooper follows fellow senior Bryon Baker (March 6-12) and freshman Sam Muskat (Feb. 13-19). The Yellowjackets (13-20, 11-12 GNAC) resume action at home this weekend with a four-game series against Western Oregon University at Dehler Park. Doubleheaders are scheduled for 1 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and live video with paly-by-play commentary and live statistics will be available online through MSUB’s Stretch Internet portal here. GNAC Career Strikeout Leaders Rank Name Strikeouts 1 Nick Waechter 269 2 Roger Evenson 246 3 Brady Muller 232 4 Steven Schutte 231 5 Mike Ward 223 6 Cody Cooper 206 7 Mike Eisenhauer 185 8 Kirk Lind 179 9 Neil Elder 175 10 Spenser Watkins 171
School WOU NNU MSUB NNU WOU MSUB WOU WOU NNU WOU
MSUB Career Strikeout Leaders Rank Name Strikeouts 1 Brady Muller 232 2 Cody Cooper 206 3 Brian Howe 143 4 Tanner Johnson 130 5 Brian Hutchings 120 6 Kody Kennedy 113 7 Samuel Paterson 98 8 Steve Scott 86 9 Archie Smith 78 10 Jake Campeau 77 11 Bryon Baker 76
Seasons 2012-15 2014-17 2008-11 2015-16 2010-12 2010-11 2012-13 2008-09 2009-11 2014-15 2013-17
Seasons 2004-06 2003-05 2012-15 2002-04 2007-08, 2010-11 2014-17 2007-09 2009-12 2000-03 2013-14
Senior Cody Cooper is No. 2 in MSUB history and No. 6 in GNAC history with 206 career strikeouts.
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