CLINTON, Miss. --- Mississippi College's Cooper Cooksey has been named Gulf South Conference Pitcher of the Week following a dominant performance on the mound in the Choctaws' 14-1 win over Valdosta State, as announced by the conference office on Tuesday, March 31.
 
Cooksey, who ranks sixth in the GSC in strikeouts this season, delivered a complete-game effort, allowing just one run on four hits over 7.0 innings while striking out a career-high 12 Blazers, which is among the top strike out performances in the league this season and the most on the weekend. The right-hander controlled the game throughout, limiting Valdosta State to just one extra-base hit and consistently working out of minimal traffic.
 
The Waveland, Miss., native is the third Choctaw baseball player to earn a conference weekly accolade. He joins Will Langston, who grabbed freshman of the week laurels on Feb. 3, and Alex Johnson, who followed a week later with a player of the week honor. Cooksey is the first Choctaw hurler to nab recognition since Holland Townes last season and the ninth since the program returned to Division II.
 
MC returns to action on Tuesday against Arkansas Tech. First pitch is 3 p.m.