Ragin’ Cajuns Earn D1Baseball Preseason Honors
LOUISIANA – Connor Cooke and Hayden Durke have been tabbed as the Preseason Sun Belt Conference Pitcher of the Year and Freshman of the Year by D1Baseball, while three other Ragin' Cajuns were named on the organization's Draft Prospects lists and Impact Freshmen list among Sun Belt performers.
Cooke, a sophomore right-handed pitcher, started to turn heads during the shortened 2020 year, holding opponents to a .186 batting average and fanning 17 batters in 12.2 innings pitched. Cooke was also slated to start against Coastal Carolina on March 14, 2020 before the season was canceled.
Durke came to Louisiana rated as the 89th-best overall prospect in the country and best prospect in the state of Louisiana by PerfectGame.org. The Abbeville, Louisiana, native enters the 2021 season with a fastball that sits at 95 MPH.
In addition to the preseason accolades, Cooke, Conor Angel and Julian Brock were tabbed as some of the top MLB Draft prospects in the conference, while Durke and Carson Roccaforte were rated as two of the most impactful freshmen in the Sun Belt by the site.
Top Prospects, 2021 Draft (*D1Baseball rated the top 25 prospects)
4. Connor Angel
5. Connor Cooke
Top Prospects, 2022 Draft (*D1Baseball rated the top 10 prospects)
8. Julian Brock
Impact Freshmen (*D1Baseball rated the top 10 freshmen)
1. Hayden Durke
7. Carson Roccaforte
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