Fred Cooley (1996) - Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame

Fred Cooley

Induction:
1996

   Fred Cooley was one of the most feared hitters and pitchers in the history of Southern Miss baseball. The home runs that he hit at Pete Taylor Park are the things that legends are made of. People still talked about some of the towering blasts that he hit out over the light towers or that he deposited into the woods behind the outfield fences.
   As a pitcher his ability to come out of the Golden Eagle bullpen and win or save a game also established him as one of the school’s most effective and talented pitchers.
   Fred Cooley first came to Southern Miss in 1984, but left after the first semester to return home to play football for his dad. Southern would miss Fred, but it was a chance for the him to play for his father, and enjoy a special bond few of us have known. While at Jones Fred matured and learned skills that would make him even better when he returned to Southern.
   It didn’t take long for Fred to make his presence known. Fred hit .303 his “rookie” year with the Golden Eagles with five home runs and had 35 runs batted in. He went to the mound nine times that year out of the bullpen, striking out 11 batters in 13 innings, winning a game and saving one. That 1987 team won a then school record 37 games.
In 1988 the Golden Eagles won 36 games and advanced for the first time to the Metro Conference semifinals, while Cooley led the team in hitting with a .353 average He also led the team in hits with 86, tied for the team lead in doubles and triples with 14 and 3, respectively. He had 17 home runs that season and a team high 70 RBIs, the fifth highest total in school history. On the mound that season he had 19 appearances, pitched 32 and two thirds innings, striking out 39 and posted five saves.
1989 would see the Golden Eagles win 36 games again and advance to the championship game of the Metro Conference championship. Fred had another incredible year hitting .352 with school records of 23 home runs and 86 RBIs. He was unable to pitch that senior year when bone chips in his right elbow made it extremely painful to throw his 92 mile an hour fast ball.
He would finish his career with numbers that few at Southern Miss have ever approached. His 45 home runs makes him the all-time leader and his 191 career RBIs ranks second. His slugging percentage of .598 is the second best in school history, among players with over 600 at-bats. The 1989 season would see him selected to the American Baseball Coaches Association All-American team. After being drafted by the Oakland As and playing several seasons in both the Oakland and Minnesota farm systems, he was released by the Twins Class AA team in Orlando, even though he was the leading hitter on the team.
Golden Eagle fans who grew use to watching his towering shots leave the ball park will remember his strength and power always. While his skill on the mound made him one of the best all-around players to ever wear the Black and Gold.