POPLARVILLE, Miss. — The postseason accolades continue for members of the Pearl River baseball team. For the fifth consecutive season, Pearl River has had a student-athlete named to a National Junior College Athletic Association All-American team. Wildcat pitcher Cooper Cooksey (Bay St. Louis; Bay) continued the tradition, being named to the National Junior College Athletic Association Second Team on Monday.
"What a well-deserved honor for Cooper after an incredible year. Finishing the year with the lowest ERA in all of NJCAA Division II baseball is absolutely remarkable," Pearl River head coach Michael Avalon said. "What many do not understand or think about is that he accomplished this while facing some the best lineups in the country in the toughest conference in the country. What a final chapter to his time here at Pearl River, and we look forward to following him as his career continues."
The NJCAA did not name a 2020 team due to Covid-19.
COOPER COOKSEY
Cooksey had lofty expectations coming off his redshirt freshman season, and he certainly lived up to them. The right-handed pitcher tossed a team-high 68 1/3 innings and pitched his way to an NJCAA-best 1.32 earned run average. His ERA mark also broke the Pearl River school record. His nine wins on the season tied for seventh most in the country. He tallied 64 strikeouts and only allowed 29 walks.
Cooksey was previously named First Team All-MACCC and All-Region 23.
"It is a great honor. I know not many people get the opportunity to say they are an All-American," Cooksey said. "My coaches are the reason for where I am. I can't thank them enough for what they have done for me."
Cooper is signed to pitch next year at South Alabama.
PREVIOUS ALL-AMERICANS
Cooksey's selection grows the list of Pearl River All-Americans to 14, joining Greg Guidry (First Team; 1994), Jake Smith (Second Team; 2003), Rhyne Hughes (First Team; 2004), Craig Rodriguez (First Team; 2005), Kyle Lindsey (First Team; 2008), Krisjon Wilkerson (Second Team; 2013), Simon "Meaux" Landry (Second Team; 2018), Wiley Cleland (Third Team; 2019), Graham Crawford (Third Team; 2021), Landon Gartman (First Team; 2021), Alex Perry (Third Team; 2022) and Tate Parker (First Team; 2021-22).
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