Reinschmidt, Cox, and Cooper earn NCBWA All-Region honors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Wednesday, May 18, 2016 Reinschmidt, Cox, and Cooper earn NCBWA All-Region honors

Luke Reinschmidt repeats as a first-team all-region center fielder while starting pitcher Cody Cooper and reliever/DH Adam Cox are first-time honorees by the NCBWA announced Wednesday.

BILLINGS, Mont. – For the second straight year, Montana State University Billings center fielder Luke Reinschmidt earned National Collegiate Baseball Writers’ Association first-team all-west region honors, while starting pitcher Cody Cooper and reliever/designated hitter Adam Cox were second-team selections announced Wednesday.

“All of these guys are deserving of west region recognition,” said MSUB head coach Rob Bishop. “It is great to see their hard work pay off, as they have become elite players in the GNAC and the west region. Our program is in good hands with guys like this leading the way.”

Reinschmidt became just the seventh player in GNAC history to earn first-team all-league honors for a third straight season, after leading all NCAA Division II west region outfielders in RBIs with 44. The senior led the GNAC in runs scored (50) and plate appearances (224), ranked second in RBIs, at-bats (192), and home runs (10), third in doubles (15), walks (27), stolen bases (11), and total bases (114), fourth in triples (3), fifth in slugging percentage (.594), sixth in hits (63), and eighth in on-base percentage (.413).

Reinschmidt had two multi-home run games this season, and finished his career with the eighth-most long balls in conference history with 22 in his three seasons. The Billings native’s 127 career RBIs are sixth-most in the history of the GNAC, and his 12 career triples are fourth most.

Reinschmidt was a first-team all-NCBWA west-region pick last year, after earning the organization’s national player of the week award. He is a four-time GNAC Player of the Week selection, and was a 2016 preseason All-American.

Cooper led the entire west region in strikeouts with 106, posting the second-highest single-season total in GNAC history and becoming just the third player ever in the conference to reach 100 Ks in a season.

Cooper shattered MSUB’s single-season strikeouts record of 79, and also set a new standard as he led the GNAC in innings pitched with 99 1/3 on the year.

The junior had five double-digit strikeout performances, including a 2016 GNAC-high 13 against Northwest Nazarene on April 16. He also finished the year fourth in the league with a 2.81 earned run average. Cooper currently ranks second in MSUB history in strikeouts (164), third in innings pitched (166.0), fifth in ERA (4.23), and eighth in complete games (4). He is No. 16 in GNAC history with 164 strikeouts through three seasons, and earned his second-career GNAC Pitcher of the Week award Junior Cody Cooper led the NCAA West Region with 106 this season.

He was a unanimous first-team all-GNAC selection. strikeouts in 2016.

A dual threat for the ‘Jackets as a sophomore, Cox took the GNAC by storm and led the league with 47 RBIs in his first year as a hitter. He is a second-team NCBWA all-region pick as a utility player and an honorable mention selection as a reliever on the mound, after earning second-team all-GNAC honors in both categories.

Cox finished the year with nine home runs, and ranked second in the GNAC with a slugging percentage of .629. After hitting a home run in his first collegiate at bat, Cox never looked back and finished the year with a .371 batting average.

He was fourth in the GNAC in on-base percentage at .460, and 22 of his 59 hits went for extra bases.

As MSUB’s closer, Cox ranked third in the GNAC with five saves and had 37 strikeouts in 27 1/3 innings. He also picked up six wins on the mound and held a 4.94 ERA on the year. Through just two seasons, Cox is MSUB’s career saves leader with nine. He was twice picked as the GNAC Player of the Week during the season.

Stephen Lohr and Dylan Stowell of California Baptist University swept the NCBWA West Region Player and Pitcher of the Year awards, while Cal State East Bay’s Bob Ralston was tabbed as the West Region Coach of the Year. Fellow GNAC teams Northwest Nazarene University and Western Oregon University each also had three all-region selections, while Central Washington had one.

Reinschmidt is now eligible for NCBWA All-America honors, which will be announced after this weekend’s NCAA regional tournament action. The Yellowjackets finished the 2016 season with their second-consecutive GNAC regular-season title, posting a program-record for wins by going 30-20 overall and 23-15 in conference play.

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