FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Monday, March 28, 2016 Cooper claims GNAC Pitcher of the Week award
Turning in his best start of the year on Sunday, MSUB baseball junior Cody Cooper earns his second career GNAC Pitcher of the Week honor. PORTLAND, Ore. – A 142-pitch, eight-inning performance by Montana State University Billings right-handed pitcher Cody Cooper has earned the junior Great Northwest Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week honors announced on Monday. Cooper stifled Western Oregon University on Easter Sunday, allowing just one run and striking out six Wolves to lead the Yellowjackets to a series-clinching 6-1 victory at Dehler Park. “Cody deserves this recognition, and he has been terrific all year for us,” said MSUB head coach Rob Bishop. “He is a great kid and I am looking forward to being a part of his last two years of college baseball.” After WOU won Game 1 of the series 10-0, the ‘Jackets rallied to capture Game 2 8-7 on Saturday. That set Cooper up for a duel against WOU right-hander Gary Steindorf in the rubber match Sunday morning. Both pitchers posted zeroes through five innings, with Cooper twice sneaking out of bases-loaded jams with one out early on.
The Wolves struck first in the top of the sixth, as MSUB senior center fielder Luke Reinschmidt narrowly missed robbing WOU’s Kyle Vanderkin of a triple when a deep drive to center glanced off his glove while he crashed into the wall. MSUB’s offense responded in a big way however, scoring three runs in the bottom of the sixth, two more in the seventh, and one in the eighth. The offensive production sparked Cooper’s second wind, as he retired the side in order in the seventh, and struck out the side in the eighth to set the ‘Jackets up to take the game. Cooper’s 142 pitches were the most of his career, and with the six strikeouts he remained as the GNAC leader in that category with 48 on the season. Cooper is now 50 on the year, and the ‘Jackets have won all six of his starts on the mound. He holds an earned run average of 2.56, has pitched into the seventh inning in all six of his starts, and has had at least six strikeouts in each one as well. Cooper earned GNAC Pitcher of the Week honors last season from March 16-22, when he tossed a three-hit shutout and had 10 strikeouts in a win over Northwest Nazarene University that capped off a four-game road sweep for MSUB. This is the third consecutive week a Yellowjacket has garnered honors from the conference, as Adam Cox was the GNAC Player of the Week last week and Reinschmidt earned his second honor of the year two weeks ago. Cooper is the second pitcher this year from the Yellowjackets to earn the award, after senior right-hander Tanner Johnson picked up Pitcher of the Week early on in the season. The Yellowjackets are back in action this weekend, with a four-game road series at conference opponent Saint Martin’s University. The ‘Jackets and Saints kick off their series on Saturday at 2 p.m. Mountain time, and will finish the set on Sunday at 1 p.m. Mountain time. Doubleheaders in the 9-inning/7-inning format are scheduled for both days, and live statistics will be available through MSUB’s Stretch Internet portal here. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--