The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
2017 Baseball Roster
Roster
Morgan Cooper
- Position:
- RHP
- Height:
- 6-4
- Weight:
- 215
- Class:
- Redshirt Junior
- Hometown:
- Jarrell, Texas
- High School:
- Jarrell
Selected in the second round (62nd overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft, becoming the Longhorns’ highest draft pick since Corey Knebel in 2011 (1st round)…named the inaugural winner of the Greg Swindell Pitcher of the Year Award, given to the top pitcher on the Longhorns’ staff.
AS A REDSHIRT JUNIOR (2017)
Named a Collegiate Baseball Newspaper third-team All-American…picked up first team All-Big 12 Conference honors…named a semifinalist for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award, given to the top amateur player in the nation…earned first team Academic All-Big 12 honors…went 6-3 with a team-best 2.32 ERA in 16 games (15 starts)…recorded 110 strikeouts and 33 walks in 89.1 innings…became the first Longhorn to record 100 strikeouts since Taylor Jungmann and Cole Green in 2011…held opponents to a .204 batting average against and allowed just two homers on the year…allowed 2 earned runs or fewer in 14 of his 16 outings on the season…in his last start of the year on June 3 at Long Beach State, picked up a no decision after going 8.0 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits and just one walk…he struck out 7 in the game…the 8.0 innings tied for his longest career outing…had a career day on April 28 at Oklahoma State in game two of the doubleheader…went 7.0 shutout innings and allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out 11…it was his second 11-strikeout performance of the season…on March 25 vs. K-State, went 8.0 shutout innings, fanning 11…picked up his first win of the season on Feb 24 vs. UCONN…went 7.0 innings, allowing one run on 4 hits and one walk while striking out 8.
AS A REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE (2016)
Threw his first career complete game (7.0 IP) on May 26 vs. Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament … he tossed seven innings, allowing 10 hits and three earned runs while walking none and strIking out three in the Longhorns’ run-rule win that kept them alive in the tournament … earned Academic All-Big 12 first team distinction honors for 2016 … struck out four and allowed zero earned runs in his fifth quality start of the season on May 19 vs. Baylor … allowed two hits and no earned runs in his fourth quality start of the season against Oklahoma State (April 30) … struck out eight batters for the third time in the season, matching his career-high (also April 15 vs. Kansas and March 8 vs. Sam Houston State) … on April 8 at Kansas State, did not allow an earned run in six innings pitched … did not allow any earned runs in that start against the Wildcats and issued only one walk while striking out seven … pitched 4.2 innings in his first Friday night start on March 24 vs. TCU, sitting down the first nine batters he faced … made three straight Tuesday night starts against Texas State, Sam Houston State, and Texas A&M … won his first game of the season against Sam Houston State (March 8) on the way to setting a career-high in strikeouts (8) … made his first appearance since the 2014 College World Series (June 21, 2014) on February 21 vs. UNLV … allowed just one baserunner (a walk) in two innings of work during that game against the Rebels.
AS A SOPHOMORE (2015)
Missed the 2015 season after undergoing Tommy John Surgery in the fall of 2014 … named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the 2014 fall semester.
AS A FRESHMAN (2014)
Named a second team Freshman All-American by Perfect Game … a member of the Big 12 All-Freshman team … went 4-2 with a 2.89 ERA, tying for the team lead with 29 appearances while logging 56 innings pitched … his 29 appearances were tied for the sixth most in the Big 12 … made one start on the season and recorded three saves … recorded 41 strikeouts while walking just nine … tossed 4 2/3 innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts in relief against Vanderbilt on June 21 … pitched a career-high six innings with a career-high six strikeouts against Kansas State on May 18 in a no-decision … pitched two no-hit innings of relief May 16 against Kansas State to finish off a combined no-hitter with Dillon Peters … won his fourth game of the season April 22 against UTPA when he threw a scoreless eighth inning in relief … tossed 3 1/3 perfect innings with three strikeouts in the series against Oklahoma (April 17-19) … picked up his third win of the season on April 11 against Oklahoma when he threw three perfect innings in relief while striking out four … notched his third save of the year on April 5 against Baylor when he threw three scoreless innings with three strikeouts and only two hits … picked up his second save of the season on April 1 against Rice when he recorded the final two outs of a 5-2 win … earned his first career save March 21 against Columbia when he threw three innings of relief in a 7-3 Texas win … notched his second win of the year against Hawai'i on March 8 throwing two socreless innings in relief, allowing no hits, one walk and striking out two … earned his first collegiate win March 2 against Sam Houston State throwing 4 1/3 innings in relief while allowing three hits, no runs and striking out five … closed out both of Texas' wins against Cal February 15 & 16 in non-save situations, pitching a shutout inning in each … recorded his first college inning in a win against Cal on February 15 … named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the 2013 fall semester and 2014 spring semester.
HIGH SCHOOL
A four-year varsity letter winner as a pitcher and third baseman for coach Dean Fitzner at Jarrell High School … named the 2A Baseball Player of the Year his junior year … struck out 10 in six innings of work in a 13-inning state semifinal … also lettered in basketball for four years … was named to the all-state team and honored as district MVP his junior year … named to the honor roll his senior year.
PERSONAL
Son of Bryce and Tammi Cooper … has one older brother, Kreece … Kreece played baseball at Mary Hardin-Baylor … is a sport management major.
CAREER HIGHS
Innings pitched: 8.0, at Long Beach State, Jun 03, 2017 ; Kansas State, Mar 25, 2017
Walks allowed: 4, at Baylor, Apr 14, 2017 ; UCLA, Mar 11, 2017 ; Kansas State, Mar 25, 2017
Strikeouts: 11, at Oklahoma State, Apr 28, 2017 ; Kansas State, Mar 25, 2017
Batters faced: 30, at Long Beach State, Jun 03, 2017
Field chances: 3, at West Virginia, May 06, 2016 ; Baylor, May 19, 2016
Putouts: 1, 8 times
Assists: 2, 5 times
Runners CS: 1, 5 times
