LSU pitcher Riley Cooper selected by Baltimore Orioles
BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU pitcher Riley Cooper was selected Tuesday by the Baltimore Orioles in the 13th round (391st pick overall) of the MLB Draft.
The draft concludes on Tuesday with Rounds 11-20, which may be viewed on MLB.com.
Cooper, a left-hander from Fresno, Calif., transferred to LSU prior to the 2022 season after pitching in 2021 as a freshman at Arizona, and he made a huge impact upon the Tigers’ bullpen over the course of the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He helped lead LSU to the 2023 National Championship by earning one win and three saves in the College World Series.
Cooper has made 62 appearances (four starts) in two seasons at LSU, posting a 9-6 record and a 4.31 ERA in 102.1 innings with 28 walks and 98 strikeouts. He led the LSU staff in 2023 with 32 appearances (three starts), and he recorded a 5-3 mark with a 4.38 ERA in 61.2 innings with three saves, 20 walks and 63 strikeouts.
He pitched brilliantly in the College World Series, making five relief appearances in LSU’s eight games and posting a 1-0 mark, three saves and a 0.93 ERA in 9.2 innings with three walks and nine strikeouts.
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Cooper earned the win in Game 1 of the CWS Finals vs. Florida (June 24), firing 3.0 scoreless innings and limiting the Gators to one hit with one walk and three strikeouts.
Cooper is one of 10 LSU players selected in the 2023 draft through 13 rounds, joining pitcher Paul Skenes (No. 1 overall – Pittsburgh Pirates); centerfielder Dylan Crews (No. 2 overall – Washington Nationals), pitcher Ty Floyd (No. 38 overall – Cincinnati Reds), pitcher Grant Taylor (No. 51 overall – Chicago White Sox), first baseman/outfielder Tre’ Morgan (No. 88 overall – Tampa Bay Rays), second baseman Gavin Dugas (No. 165 overall – Washington Nationals, pitcher Garrett Edwards (No. 333 overall – Tampa Bay Rays), pitcher Blake Money (No. 361 overall – Baltimore Orioles), and outfielder Brayden Jobert (No. 365 overall).
Editor’s Note: LSU release.
