Jackson, MS-Junior center fielder Chanse Cooper and senior pitcher/first baseman Craig Westcott of the Belhaven baseball team have come to contract terms after being selected in the Major League Baseball Draft. Cooper was the 632nd pick overall in the 21st round of the draft by the Kansas City Royals and will report to the Royals Rookie League team which is the Idaho Falls Chukars. Westcott was chosen by the San Francisco Giants with the 897th overall pick in the 30th round and is scheduled to report to the Arizona Giants which is San Francisco’s Rookie League Club.
Cooper provided great defense in center field and ignited the offense at the top of the lineup all season long. Cooper hit .331 with 12 doubles, a team high seven triples, and racked up 48 RBI’s. Cooper had a total of 81 hits and led the team in stolen bases by swiping 40 bags in 48 attempts. Cooper ranks third on the Belhaven all time career stolen bases list and set the new Belhaven single season record by eclipsing Blaise King’s previous record of 39 set in 2007.
Westcott won the 2009 Cellular South Ferriss Trophy and finished the 2009 season with a record of 11-4 and an ERA of 3.29 which is the second best in school history. Westcott struck out 124 batters, which is a new Belhaven record for most strikeouts in a season. He also had seven complete games, five shutouts which ties him for first all time and is a new school single season record, two no hitters and held opposing hitters to a .199 batting average. Westcott surrendered only 27 walks in 90.1 innings of work this season.
Offensively, Westcott led the team with a .343 batting average and 65 RBI’s. Westcott was second on the team in home runs with 11 and paced the Blazers with a .618 slugging percentage. He also walked 49 times which is a new Belhaven record for most free passes in a season.
The Blazers finished the 2009 season with a record of 43-20, won the GCAC Tournament, and advanced to the Field 5 championship game in the 2009 NAIA National Baseball Championship Opening Round tournament in Cleveland, TN.