Lions softball adds junior college hurler - KOAM TV 7

Lions softball adds junior college hurler

JOPLIN -- Missouri Southern head softball coach Bill Gray has announced the signing of Hannah Cooke, a junior college transfer, to a national letter of intent to play softball and attend Southern beginning this fall. 

Cooke, is a 5-1 right handed pitcher from San Ramon, California, where she played the previous two seasons at the College of the Siskiyous for coach Doug Eastman. While there, she was an All-Conference selection each season and helped the Eagles to a fourth-place finish in the State Championship of the California Community College Athletic Association this past year. 

This past year, Cooke appeared in 25 games, starting 15, and had an 11-3 record over 80 innings of work. She had a 1.21 ERA and helped the team to the league's best ERA. Cooke struck out 70 batters and walked just 24, while throwing two complete games. As a freshman, Cooke went 12-3 with a 1.97 ERA and struck out 63 in 85 innings. 

Cooke prepped at San Ramon Valley High School in Danville, Calif. and was a pitcher, outfielder and designated player for coach Marran Young. A four-year starter, Cook was the MVP of the Queen of the Mountain Tournament and was labeled her school's best offensive player as a sophomore.

A business major at Southern, Cooke is the daughter of Bill and Lisa Cooke.

"Hannah will give us more depth on the mound," Gray said. "She is a little more of a power pitcher than what we've had and will allow us to give more variety to our opponents on the mound. Add her to Nicole (Reed) who comes back for her senior season, Hannah will give us a pretty potent 1-2 punch on the mound. With her and the other pitchers we have coming back, she'll be able to help provide us the leadership we need to continue to improve."