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Tournaments  | Story  | 6/9/2019

Cosper carries Warriors

Jack Nelson     
Photo: Colton Cosper (Perfect Game)

WOODSTOCK, Ga. – Warriors Baseball Meigs moved to 2-0 in pool play of the 2019 WWBA 16u National Championship Qualifier by slugging their way to a 12-8 victory over Team Elite 16u Prospects.

Colton Cosper was the player of the game for the Warriors, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a run. Cosper is hitting .625 through two games in the tournament, and is ranked as a Top-1000 player in Perfect Game’s high school class of 2021. Today, he made his presence known immediately, smacking a two-run single in the bottom of the first inning.

“I just try to drive the ball to the opposite field,” said Cosper of his first inning hit. “I was trying to see it deep and smack it the other way.”

The Warriors added four more runs in the second, receiving big contributions from Parker Willis, Mitchell Cole, and Kyle Aldridge. Willis was especially impressive, going 4-for-4 with two runs scored. For the tournament, he is hitting a scorching .667.  Perfect Game has him ranked as a high follow in the high school class of 2021.

“We were really focused at the plate today," said Mitchell Cole, who added a hit and two runs. “As a lineup we really stuck to our approaches.”

After Team Elite rallied for six runs in the top of the fourth, Cosper got things going again by leading off the bottom of the inning with a booming triple in the over the centerfielder’s head.

“Even on that triple, I was still trying to go the other way,” Cosper said. “I got into a 2-0 count and trusted my swing.”

Cosper would score on a sacrifice fly by Gage Reeves, and the Warriors would never relinquish the lead. And a major reason for that was because Cosper came on to pitch. After team Elite plated 6 runs in the top of the fourth, the Warriors turned to Cosper to be the stopper they needed.

The lefthanded pitcher attacked from the very beginning, striking out his first hitter on just three pitches. He pumped in 75 percent strikes, and finished with four strikeouts in his two innings of relief. His final pitch of the day was clutch. With the tying runner on third and two outs in the sixth inning, Cosper painted a fastball low and away to get a huge strikeout and escape the jam.

Cosper said he does not model his game after any MLB player, but he did say he likes the fire of Chris Sale and Bryce Harper. On this day, he channeled both his pitching and his hitting idols.

The Warriors displayed some defensive gems as well. Third baseman Garret Madliak, a Georgia commit, made a couple excellent plays at third base on softly hit grounders. Leftfielder Chazz Hickman made a beautiful throw to cut down a runner at the plate in the top of the fourth.

Those big plays came as no surprise to Mitchell Cole.

“We just have such a bond with each other,” Cole said. “We have great team chemistry. We are so close and we know everyone is capable of making big plays.”

As for his expectations the rest of the tournament, Cosper was all business.

“Keep getting better. Keep playing great games," he said. “I just love coming out here and competing with my teammates everyday. That’s my biggest motivation.”

The Warriors still have some work to do before they can have a chance at a trophy. They will take on the East Cobb Colt .45’s 16u tomorrow and the UMGA White 16u on Thursday.

“Hopefully we can win our pool,” said Cole. “Then in the playoffs, we can make a run and win the whole thing.”
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