Clinton, Mississippi — Mississippi College’s Cooper Cooksey was named Gulf South Conference Pitcher of the Week after a standout performance in a 14-1 victory over Valdosta State, the conference announced Tuesday.
The right-hander tossed a complete game, allowing one run on four hits over seven innings. He struck out a career-high 12 batters, one of the top performances in the league this season and the most in the weekend’s games. Cooksey kept the Blazers off balance, limiting them to one extra-base hit and working out of minimal traffic.
Cooksey, a Waveland, Mississippi native, ranks sixth in the GSC in strikeouts this season. He is the third Mississippi College player to earn a weekly conference award, joining Will Langston, who was named freshman of the week on Feb. 3, and Alex Johnson, who received player of the week honors a week later.
This is the first time a Mississippi College pitcher has earned the award since Holland Townes last season. Cooksey is the ninth Choctaw player to receive a conference weekly accolade since the program returned to NCAA Division II.
The team returns to action Tuesday against Arkansas Tech with a 3 p.m. first pitch.
