|
Matt Cooksey enters his fourth season with the Patriots and will be the starter in center field... Catalyst at the plate with excellent speed and batting eye... Possibly fastest player to ever play at George Mason... Outstanding defensive player with good throwing arm... On George Mason career lists, enters 2005 season ranked first in walks (139), first in triples (15), third in stolen bases (71), seventh in runs (145) and fifth in strikeouts (139)... Majoring in administration of justice. 2004: Had a tremendous surge in April and finished the season batting .263 with 50 runs, 47 walks and 19 steals... Hit career-highs in hits (54), homers (5), extra-base hits (19) and RBI (30)... Stole 19 of 20 bases on the year... Started in center field in all 54 games in which he played... Was hitting .205 after going 0 for 4 in first game of a doubleheader against Old Dominion on April 3... Hit .379 over the next 18 games with 20 runs and 16 RBI... Had a .494 on-base percentage during that stretch... Set the school's career record for triples with a game-winning triple in the ninth-inning against Old Dominion in the CAA Tournament... Against Towson on May 1 and 2, was 6 for 9 with seven RBI and five runs scored... Reached base in 45 of the 54 games he played and 28 of the season's final 30 games... Named to Athletic Director's Honor Roll and Dean' List in Fall 2003 for outstanding work in the classroom 2003: Struggled through injuries to solid sophomore campaign, starting all 45 games played in center field ... Missed six games due to slight concussion suffered at Old Dominion March 28 ... Batted .255 with nine doubles, five triples, one home run, 14 RBI and 18 stolen bases ... Led Patriots and CAA in triples and walks (44), ranked fourth in the nation with 0.98 walks per game ... Walks total third-best in school history for a season ... Paced Mason in stolen bases and on-base percentage (.426), ranking tied for sixth in the CAA in steals ... Played in 13 games vs. CAA opponents, batting .250 with four doubles, a triple, two RBI and three steals ... Had eight multiple-hit games, including two with three hits, and had three multiple-RBI contests, including one with four RBI, establishing career high at Georgetown April 30 ... Had season-best three stolen bases vs. Cleveland State March 22, giving him six career games with three or more steals ... Drew three walks vs. Cleveland State and vs. Hofstra April 12 (Game 1 of doubleheader), giving him nine career games with three or more walks ... Selected to All-CAA team and named best baserunner, fastest runner and best defensive outfielder in preseason poll of conference coaches by Baseball America ... Named to Athletic Director's Honor Roll (Spring 2003) ... Spent summer playing with the Orleans Cardinals of the Cape Cod Baseball League, considered by many the top collegiate summer league in the nation ... Helped lead Cardinals to CCBL championship ... Batted .248 in 36 games with three doubles, a home run, seven RBI and 16 stolen bases (tying for league lead). 2002: Enjoyed outstanding freshman season, developing into one of the top leadoff men in the CAA while earning honorable mention Freshman All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball magazine ... Started 54 of 55 games played, all in center field ... Led Patriots with 34 stolen bases, the second-highest total for a season in Mason history, and ranked tied for second in the CAA and 25th in the nation ... Batted .280 with 11 doubles, three triples, three home runs and 24 RBI ... Led Patriots in triples, runs scored (55), walks (48 - second-highest total for a season in school history) and on-base percentage (.432), ranked fifth in doubles ... Against CAA opponents (starting all 19 games), batted .333 four doubles, two triples, two homers, 14 RBI and 13 stolen bases ... Led Patriots in walks (17) and on-base percentage (.478) vs. CAA foes, tied for team lead in stolen bases and triples, ranked second in runs (20) ... Led CAA in walks, was tied for sixth in runs and was eighth in on-base percentage ... Had 14 multiple-hit games, including five with three or more hits ... Tied school record with career-best five hits vs. Old Dominion March 30 ... Also hit home run and stole two bases ... Twice posted season-high three RBI, vs. Delaware April 20 and vs. VCU in the CAA Tournament May 24 ... Drew four walks (tying school record) vs. Delaware and had three walks in a game six other times ... Recorded career-best four stolen bases at Hofstra April 13, and had three steals in four other games ... Had solid summer season with the Vienna Mustangs of the Clark Griffith Collegiate Baseball League, a local wood-bat circuit ... Batted .253 with seven doubles, nine RBI and 15 stolen bases (ranked second on team and in CGCBL). Prep: Had outstanding four-year career at nearby St. John's College High School ... Was USA Today All-American and Washington, DC, Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior after batting .412 with two home runs, 13 RBI, 33 walks and 40 stolen bases ... Also earned All-Metropolitan Washington (by The Washington Post) first-team honors ... Twice received first-team All-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference accolades and twice was named to second team during career. Personal: Full name is Joseph Matthew Cooksey ... Born November 14, 1982 ... Son of Ron and Debbie Cooksey ... Has one sister ... 2001 graduate of St. John's College High School, where he also played soccer for four years and football for two ... Was high school teammate of former Patriot Jeff Palumbo, and played for Coach Ed Gibbs, father of former Patriot Mark Gibbs.
CAREER GMU BATTING STATISTICS |
  |
