Even though the 2018 season was his lone as a North Carolina Tar Heels baseball player, Cooper Criswell quickly became one of the top pitchers in recent memory.
Criswell was an integral part of the UNC squad which made a run to the 2018 College World Series. That North Carolina team beat Oregon State in its CWS opener, with Criswell notching the save, then lost two consecutive games to Mississippi State and the Beavers.
In the regular season, Criswell pitched to a a 6-2 win-loss record and an impressive 2.99 earned run average. He struck out 86 batters, too, climbing up the MLB Draft boards of many scouts.
Criswell’s college performance earned him a selection in the 2018 MLB Draft, with the Los Angeles Angels selecting him in the 13th round. Criswell has since bounced around, going to the Tampa Bay Ray and – now – the Boston Red Sox.
Criswell spent time in Boston, but is now playing in Triple-A Worcester, a move that may have paid off for his career development.
For the week of July 1-7, Criswell was named the International League Pitcher of the Week.
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Criswell earned the win in Worcester’s 4-0 victory over the Syracuse Mets on Saturday, July 6, pitching six innings of 1-hit baseball while striking out eight batters. This was Criswell’s longest outing of the year, with his eight punch outs one short of a season-high nine in Boston.
With struggles in the back end of the Red Sox’s pitching staff, performances like Saturday’s could earn Criswell another call-up.
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