SPRINGFIELD, MO (July 1, 2024) – Minor League Baseball announced on Monday that Springfield Cardinals starting pitcher Cooper Hjerpe has been named the Texas League Pitcher of the Week for the week of June 24 – 30. It’s the third time this season a Cardinal has won a weekly award, including his own (June 17-23) and Nathan Church’s honor (April 15-21).
After winning the same award the previous week, he becomes the fourth Springfield Cardinal all-time to win a weekly MiLB honor in consecutive weeks. LHP Tim Cooney is the only other pitcher to complete the feat August 5-18, 2013. Moises Gomez (April 11-24, 2022) and Colby Rasmus (August 13-27, 2007) both won Player of the Week in consecutive weeks.
Hjerpe faced the Arkansas Travelers on Wednesday, matching a career-high with eight strikeouts at Hammons Field. He threw five hitless frames for the second straight start, running his hitless innings streak to ten straight.
Including this latest award, Hjerpe has been named Pitcher of the Week three total times in his Minor League career. He also won the honor in the Midwest League (A+) while with the Peoria Chiefs on May 28, 2023. The southpaw is the number six overall prospect and number three pitching prospect in the St. Louis Cardinals farm system. The organization drafted him 22nd overall in the 2022 MLB Draft after an electric season at Oregon State where he was a Golden Spikes Award finalist.
The Cardinals are set to return home for Freedom Week starting on the Fourth of July at Hammons Field to host the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Kansas City).
