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	School	Seasons
1	Nick Waechter	269	WOU	2004-06
2	Roger Evenson	246	NNU	2003-05
3	Brady Muller	232	MSUB	2012-15
4	Steven Schutte	231	NNU	2002-04
5	Mike Ward	223	WOU	2007-08, 2010-11
6	Cody Cooper	206	MSUB	2014-17
7	Mike Eisenhauer	185	WOU	2007-09
8	Kirk Lind	179	WOU	2009-12
9	Neil Elder	175	NNU	2000-03
10	Spenser Watkins	171	WOU	2013-14

 
MSUB Career Strikeout Leaders

Rank	Name	Strikeouts	Seasons
1	Brady Muller	232	2012-15
2	Cody Cooper	206	2014-17
3	Brian Howe	143	2008-11
4	Tanner Johnson	130	2015-16
5	Brian Hutchings	120	2010-12
6	Kody Kennedy	113	2010-11
7	Samuel Paterson	98	2012-13
8	Steve Scott	86	2008-09
9	Archie Smith	78	2009-11
10	Jake Campeau	77	2014-15
11	Bryon Baker	76	2013-17