Sixth-year senior leads UAFS to landmark year

FORT SMITH — It has been a long journey for University of Arkansas at Fort Smith sixth-year senior Kasey Cooper, but his final season has been worth the wait.

Cooper, a former Pea Ridge Blackhawk, has helped the Lions make their first appearance in the NCAA Division II baseball tournament. No. 6 seed UAFS plays No. 1 seed and host Angelo State at noon today in San Angelo, Texas.

The Lions started the year with a 5-10 record, but they turned it around to set the school record for most victories in a season. The Lions (33-20) enter the tournament having won 28 of their past 38 games. And Cooper has played a big part in the success.

“This year has been really special for me,” Cooper said. “I’ve been here for a while. It’s been a long six years. Being a part of this season, with it being my last year, is the way I wanted to go out.”

After battling injuries that lengthened his career to six years, Cooper is glad to be playing a big role in his last.

He earned all-conference honors playing both basketball and baseball for Pea Ridge, and he hit .537 as a senior.

“If you would’ve told me I would be playing college baseball when I was in high school, I would’ve told you to go fly a kite,” Cooper said. “I didn’t think there was any possible way for me to not be playing basketball. But it didn’t work out. Baseball fell into place for me.”

The 6-2, 212-pound first baseman is tied for the team

lead in home runs with six and has the highest on-base percentage at .412. Cooper, who hits cleanup, is second on the team in runs with 38 and tied for second in RBI with 32.

“He has been here longer than I have,” said UAFS Coach Todd Holland, who is in his third season with the program. “He is a freak athlete. He is big and physical. Most people like that can’t walk and chew gum at the same time. He can do it all.”

Improved plate discipline from Cooper has been a boon for the Lions, Holland said.

“That’s the good thing about him this year is he has done a great job with his approach at the plate,” Holland said of Cooper, who had a .380 OBP last season. “I told him don’t be afraid to walk. I felt like he was getting himself out rather than the pitcher doing it.”

Holland said he couldn’t ask for a better senior leader.

“He is just a great kid,” Holland said. “There aren’t too many kids that pass the ‘They could marry my daughter’ test. He is one of them.”

Cooper never had played anything but outfield in his career but was asked to move to first base entering his senior season. He took the challenge and has been steady for the Lions, making just five errors.

“He gets a lot of action over there,” Holland said. “A lot of first basemen are not as athletic and just hit for power. But he brings a little of both to the table. When we moved him there, we knew he’d figure it out because he is a good athlete.”

Cooper is one of 18 players from Arkansas on the roster, including five of the team’s starting nine.

“It’s been a good adventure for this team,” Holland said. “We are mostly just a bunch of Arkansas kids. They just believe in themselves. I don’t tell them this, but this is a team that has overachieved way over my expectations.”

A medical redshirt in his sophomore year gave him eligibility for this season, but a separated shoulder cost him some playing time earlier this year.

“I worked hard with the training staff to come back maybe a little before I should’ve,” Cooper said. “But this is my senior year. I want to be able to go out there and help the boys. It was really hard for me to miss any games.”

Cooper said the team is not content with just making postseason play.

“To go as far as we have this year, I couldn’t be any happier,” Cooper said. “But we’ve never been here before. So let’s get after this and see what can happen.”

Cooper