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Cooper Hjerpe Drafted by St. Louis Cardinals

In the first round, with the 22nd pick, the Beavers star pitcher has found a home in the pros.

By Marcus Russell
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Syndication: Statesman Journal BRIAN HAYES / STATESMAN JOURNAL via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Cooper Hjerpe has been drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft (#22 overall) making him the first Beaver off the board this year.

The Oregon State left-hander was named the National Pitcher of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), the College Baseball Foundation and Perfect Game. During this past season Hjerpe had a 11-2 record and 2.53 earned run average while leading the nation and setting a school-record with 161 strikeouts. He absolutely dominated all year long.

On the broadcast they compared Cooper Hjerpe to MLB All-Star Chris Sale. Cooper Hjerpe has a good fastball in the low-to-mid 90’s. But has a fantastic slider and changeup. His big sweeping throwing motion is a concern for some scouts (injury-concern and overall velocity). But his numbers speak for himself. Hjerpe might ultimately be a reliever in the Big Leagues; but if you watched him this past season he easily handled 100+ innings and I think he can be a starter.

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