:Kevin Kopps
{{Short description|American baseball pitcher}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name = Kevin Kopps
|image = Kevin Kopps, 2019 Super Regional (cropped).jpg
|caption = Kopps in 2019
|team = San Diego Padres
|number = 94
|position = Pitcher
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|3|2}}
|birth_place = Sugar Land, Texas, U.S.
|bats = Right
|throws = Right
|debutleague =
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|highlights =
- Golden Spikes Award (2021)
- Dick Howser Trophy (2021)
- National Pitcher of the Year Award (2021)
- SEC Pitcher of the Year (2021)
}}
Kevin Richard Kopps (born March 2, 1997) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the San Diego Padres organization. He previously played college baseball for the Arkansas Razorbacks of the University of Arkansas, competing in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). In 2021, he won the Golden Spikes Award, the Dick Howser Trophy, National Pitcher of the Year Award, and Stopper of the Year Award.
Amateur career
Kopps attended George Ranch High School in Fort Bend County, Texas. He played for the school's baseball team as a pitcher, and was twice named all-state.{{cite web|last=Welch |first=Monique |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/neighborhood/sugarland/article/George-Ranch-grad-Kopps-locks-down-national-awards-16274979.php |title=George Ranch grad Kopps locks down national awards |publisher=Houstonchronicle.com |date=June 25, 2021 |accessdate=June 29, 2021}} He enrolled at the University of Arkansas to play college baseball for the Arkansas Razorbacks in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). As a redshirt freshman in 2017, Kopps had a 3.31 earned run average (ERA) in 49 innings pitched. He did not play during the 2018 season as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. In 2019, his sophomore year, he had a 3.16 ERA in 37 innings pitched. As a junior in 2020, he had a 8.18 ERA in 11 innings pitched before the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the cancellation of the remainder of the season.
After his poor 2020 season, Kopps was unsure if the Arkansas coaches wanted him on the team in 2021, but they assured him that they did.{{cite web|url=https://www.fortbendstar.com/sports/sugar-land-native-living-out-faith-through-baseball/article_bfd98636-d8a2-11eb-9521-1b4ebe585fbf.html|title=Sugar Land native living out faith through baseball|first=Landan |last=Kuhlmann|website=Fort Bend Star|accessdate=June 29, 2021}} He reworked his pitching delivery to be more natural and less over-the-top based on how he was playing fetch with his dog.{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/kevin-kopps-padres-third-round-pick-2021-mlb-draft |title=Kevin Kopps selected by Padres in third round of 2021 MLB Draft |work=Mlb.com |date= |accessdate=July 15, 2021}} In 2021, his senior year, Kopps had a 12–1 win–loss record with a 0.90 ERA with 11 saves in {{frac|89|2|3}} innings across 33 games. His ERA led all NCAA Division I pitchers. He was named the Southeastern Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Year.{{cite web|url=https://www.fbherald.com/sports/notebook-gr-s-kevin-kopps-wins-sec-pitcher-of-the-year/article_f60b8a9a-befa-11eb-a268-0343af5627cb.html|title=Notebook: GR's Kevin Kopps wins SEC pitcher of the year|first=Ryan |last=Dunsmore|work=Fort Bend Herald|accessdate=June 29, 2021}} He won the Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Year Award, Stopper of the Year Award, the Dick Howser Trophy, and the Golden Spikes Award.{{cite web|url=https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2021/jun/19/a-wanted-man/|title=A 'wanted' man: Nation's best player doubted his place|date=June 19, 2021|work=Arkansas Democrat-Gazette|accessdate=June 29, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Razorbacks-Kopps-wins-Howser-Trophy-as-top-16258104.php |title=Razorbacks' Kopps wins Howser Trophy as top college player |publisher=Chron.com |date=June 18, 2021 |accessdate=June 29, 2021}}{{cite web|last=Walters |first=Nick |url=https://www.fox16.com/sports/local-sports/kevin-kopps-wins-2021-golden-spikes-award/ |title=Kevin Kopps Wins 2021 Golden Spikes Award | KLRT |publisher=FOX16.com |date= July 15, 2021|accessdate=July 15, 2021}}
Professional career
The San Diego Padres selected Kopps in the third round, with the 99th overall selection, of the 2021 Major League Baseball draft.{{cite web|author=Jourdan Black |url=https://www.4029tv.com/article/pitcher-kevin-kopps-drafted-padres/37001978 |title=Arkansas pitcher Kevin Kopps drafted by Padres |publisher=4029tv.com |date= July 12, 2021|accessdate=July 15, 2021}} Kopps later signed with the Padres and received a $300,000 signing bonus.{{Cite web|title=Kevin Kopps signs with Padres|url=https://www.wholehogsports.com/news/2021/jul/20/kevin-kopps-signs-padres/|access-date=July 31, 2021|website=wholehogsports.com|language=en}} Kopps made his professional debut with the Fort Wayne TinCaps of High-A Central. In September 2021, the Padres promoted Kopps to the San Antonio Missions of Double-A South.{{cite web| url = https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/padres/story/2021-09-15/padres-minor-league-report-kevin-kopps-james-wood| title = Minors: Kevin Kopps promoted to Double-A; James Wood drives in five in Arizona - The San Diego Union-Tribune| date = September 15, 2021}} Over {{frac|14|2|3}} innings between the two teams, he went 1-0 with a 0.61 ERA and 22 strikeouts.{{Cite web | url=https://razorbackers.com/2021/10/06/arkansas-baseball-kevin-kopps-rookie/ | title=Arkansas Baseball: How former Razorback Kevin Kopps fared in his first pro season | date=October 6, 2021 }}
In 2022, the Padres invited Kopps to spring training as a non-roster player.{{Cite web | url=https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-padres-announce-non-roster-invites-to-major-league-spring-tr-x2765 | title=Padres announce non-roster invites to Major League Spring Training | website=MLB.com }} He opened the season with San Antonio.{{cite web | url=https://www.expressnews.com/sports/pro-sports/article/Touching-base-Bullpen-shines-to-help-San-Antonio-17142864.php | title=Touching base: Bullpen shines to help Missions earn split | date=May 2, 2022 }}
Personal life
At Arkansas, Kopps earned a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering and has completed coursework towards a Master of Business Administration. Kopps' sister, Ashley, played softball for Sam Houston State University.
References
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External links
{{baseballstats|brm=kopps-000kev}}
- {{cite web |title=Kevin Kopps Biography |url=https://arkansasrazorbacks.com/roster/kevin-kopps/ |website=Arkansas Razorbacks|date=October 2015 }}
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{{Dick Howser Trophy}}
{{Golden Spikes Award}}
{{Baseball America College POY}}
{{Collegiate Baseball POY}}
{{National Pitcher of the Year Award}}
{{Stopper of the Year Award}}
{{2021 College Baseball Consensus All-Americans}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kopps, Kevin}}
Category:All-American college baseball players
Category:Arkansas Razorbacks baseball players
Category:Baseball players from Fort Bend County, Texas
Category:Golden Spikes Award winners
Category:Sportspeople from Sugar Land, Texas
Category:Fort Wayne TinCaps players