Collegiate Pitching ACE: Matt Cooper vs Pepperdine 2/26/2014

[GoBows2014]

If you didn't watch it live...or maybe if you saw it live and just have to see it again to believe it?

Matt Cooper on the hill, first game of a 4 game series against Pepperdine in the 2014 season. Tonight Matt put in one of the finest pitching performances *ever* at Murakami Stadium!

I've been a big fan of Matt Cooper ever since he came to UH, but after tonight? Lots more folks will see and believe the talent he brings to the mound!

I have seen him pitch many good games, a few great ones, and go the distance a few times. Tonight's game was off the charts, and I guarantee you the film and the stats will back it up.

He came out on fire, and went after every batter, and threw strikes in the zone for inning after inning after inning. The Bows provided some D, and just enough run support (1-0 most of the game, we won it when Marc Flores drilled one to center for an RBI double and an insurance run), but the thrill was on the hill tonight!

Matt shut them down the first three innings. I am guessing but I think he threw maybe 31 or 32 pitches to get us through the 1st 3 innings. Of his first 17 pitches, 15 were strikes! Almost all the innings were 3 up and 3 down, lots of strikeouts, lots of hits to 1B Flores and pop flies to the outfield. Only real change in the lineup was Conner George in LF around 7th inning, later Coach Trapp put Adam Hurley in for CG in left probably hoping for a hit, rest of the D was the same throughout. And no changes were needed, Matt Cooper was invincible!

Moment of the night? Pepperdine has a player with the same number as Matt #33. Around the 5th or 6th inning, their #33 (Catcher, Aaron Barnett) got into a battle with Matt, and man oh man it was a battle. First off, Aaron is a big boy, 6' and about 200#. Matt was going after the zone as he had done all game, but Aaron was fouling them off. Matt had a couple of strikes early, but about 8 or 9 pitches later it was still 2 balls and 2 strikes, Matt refusing to give up the zone and Aaron refusing to let anything close to a strike get by him. Aaron was hitting some unreal percentage like .467 coming into tonight's game, so you *know* he has been lighting up the opposing pitchers. Matt finally struck him out and never threw a 3rd ball, just strike, after strike, after strike. What a battle royale, and Matt with the decision.

An inning or so later with Aaron came up again? Matt went after him hard, slider 1st pitch for a strike, *heat* of some major mph to blow it by for the 2nd. Gave up one pitch out of the zone maybe? then finished him off, Aaron chasing something with the bat and not close to the ball. Three pitches it it was "see-ya" for Pepperdine's hottest hitter.

Ninth inning Matt was throwing as hard as the early innings. Smoked the batters 1-2-3, only the third out got a little testy fouling one off and getting a ball or two, but then Matt threw a nasty one by the batter, and ump rang him up for a clean strike in the zone. The last batter, and honestly the entire Pepperdine lineupe? Never had a chance against Matt Cooper tonight.

I think total pitch count of the night might be one of the lowest ever. Percentage of pitches that were strikes? Probably around 70-75%, I have not seen a collegiate pitcher pound the zone like Matt did tonight.

And mixing it up? Sliders, curves, and heat. Not much changeup, I don't think he threw much off-speed stuff all night, but man, what a thriller to watch. Hope it shows on OC16 as good as he was throwing, this was one of the best college pitching performances of the decade!

Bows Fan Out

[reignjah11]

Yup, an amazing performance! The game only lasted 2 hours! (wish most baseball gms were that quick lol) We got a solid pitching staff this year and will only get better when Torres-Costa comes back. Offense is decent, I like the change trap made moving hanawahine and aliviado to the 1-2 spot. Hurley is doin well in left but I still would like to see doi back in the lineup...put him in the 3rd spot. Really our biggest weakness to this point is defense. Again I commend trap on making changes like moving Flores back to 1st, putting doi in left, changing the 2nd baseman, etc. Overall this team has potential to have a good season.

[GoBows2014]

Yup, an amazing performance! The game only lasted 2 hours! (wish most baseball gms were that quick lol) We got a solid pitching staff this year and will only get better when Torres-Costa comes back. Offense is decent, I like the change trap made moving hanawahine and aliviado to the 1-2 spot. Hurley is doin well in left but I still would like to see doi back in the lineup...put him in the 3rd spot. Really our biggest weakness to this point is defense. Again I commend trap on making changes like moving Flores back to 1st, putting doi in left, changing the 2nd baseman, etc. Overall this team has potential to have a good season.

yeah, reignjah11, game went fast. Don't know why #10 Quentin can't pitch yet, or why Lawrence Chu hasn't been on the hill. But we didn't hear about Doi's groin...then thigh? injury until days later. Good to see Quentin at least in the linuep for hitting last series.

First off, Cooper on the hill 1st game against Pepperdine this year will still stand up for all time. Agree with you that local boyz Kalei and Ka'eo going 1-2 is the best 'Bows have had in years, hope Trapp doesn't change that. Doi batted tonight, so he is ok, or getting better.

But *huge* question? Flores struggled in left field, on O & D. Then back in the game as a starting 1B aqnd he has been a golden glove at 1st the last several games. Now that the bat is coming alive (hot in the last 3 games), where do you put Doi? Trapp tonight (2nd game against Pepperdine) switched about half the team. Moving Julienne Jones to 3rd? (and oh, Oceanic? *Andrew* Jones was not ur starting 2B on ur 1st Pepperdine broadcast it is Juleienne Jones#9!
C'mon, with two ex-UH pitchers (Sam and Harry with redhead Howard) in the showtime booth, maybe have them validate ur creds at ID'ing players!.

[reignjah11]

^Doi can play anywhere. With Brewster struggling offensively, I like doi at 3rd.

[Ulchiro5ga]

Chew had arm surgery (elbow or shoulder?) and is out for the year. Q-T is still rehabbing, not sure he is throwing off the mound yet. They are in no rush with him. He might pitch when non-conference starts...