Cooley, No. 3 Lady Bulldogs ready for Northwest

PERKINSTON – No. 3 Mississippi Gulf Coast entertains Northwest this weekend, and the Lady Bulldogs will be looking for sophomore Brittany Cooley to continue her strong play.

The doubleheader has been moved to Sunday to allow Ross-Smith Field to dry out from Friday's deluge. First pitch is at noon.

"They've played some good games this year," Gulf Coast coach Kenneth Long said. "I think they're one of the better teams out of the North. We'll have to play well to beat them."

Gulf Coast is 29-3, 13-3 MACJC, with Northwest sporting a 14-14, 8-8 record.

Cooley is third on the team with a .406 batting average, having started the season with an 18-game hit streak. She reached base in the first 26 games.

The George County product has hit three home and 10 doubles. She seems to be benefiting from splitting catching duties this year.

"That was our goal early, to try to let her catch one game," Long said. "Last year, we caught her so much we thought it affected her hitting late in the season. Being able to move her around, that was a goal and having depth is important."

Last year, she hit .325 while catching almost exclusively. Cooley and freshman Izzy Werdann generally alternate catching and playing third base, and Long said Cooley has worked hard to become a good third baseman.

"She's the kind of player that leads by example in practice and by example in games," Long said. "She plays hard. She doesn't like to mess up and hates to lose. She's been a real asset to the program these last two years.

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