Senior Spotlight: Cooper Noble, Riverside
Cooper Noble currently leads the state with 12 home runs this season.
Cooper Noble is a senior for Riverside baseball, known statewide for his prominence at the plate.
With two home runs in Thursday night’s 15-0 win over Woodmont, Noble moved to the top of the list for players with the most home runs (12) in SC high school baseball.
“It’s like a beach ball up there for [Noble],” said Riverside head coach Todd Auckland. “Most teams try their best to pitch around him.”
Greer Sports Star caught up with Noble following Riverside’s win over Woodmont to advance in the Class 5-A D2 state playoffs.
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Greer Sports Star (GSS): First, congratulations on a great win and incredible day at the plate. When would you say you first found a love for the game of baseball?
Cooper Noble (CN): So my dad, he actually owns an indoor baseball facility in town. So I didn’t really have much of a choice, you could say. I was born into it. I started playing when I was two years old, and the rest is history.
GSS: Talk about your growth as a player at Riverside from last year to now. You’ve been on a tear and are making a serious name for yourself.
CN: Yeah, so I came into this year thinking I’d have a good season. But I even caught myself by surprise with how good it’s been. I will say, I did put a lot of work in this offseason. I gained 35 pounds and a lot of muscle coming into this year. One of the big things I’ve learned about the college recruiting process is that you don’t want to be too small. Coaches talk about that a lot. I know baseball is what I want to do with my life, so I decided to make that change.
GSS: With 12 home runs on the year, you now stand alone with the most homers in the state this season. Is that something that’s on your mind when you step into the batter’s box?
CN: Honestly, yes. After every home run, I’ll look online to see where I’m standing. It’s just such a cool accomplishment for me, going from hitting one home run last season — a homer that didn’t come until we were in the playoffs — to hitting 12 this season. It’s incredible.
Noble hit two home runs and drove in four RBIs in Riverside’s series-clinching 15-0 win over Woodmont on Thursday night.
GSS: You recently announced your commitment to North Greenville University to play baseball. What stood out to you about NGU?
CN: They started recruiting me around two months ago. I didn't have to talk to them for long. When I took a visit up to the campus, I knew NGU was a winning culture with great coaches who would help me skyrocket my talent. One thing about me is that I hate losing, and NGU is a place where they really want to win and pride themselves on it.
GSS: Who is a player at the professional level you try to pattern your game after?
CN: Mookie Betts. He’s versatile and can play anywhere on the field. That’s something I take pride in. I can play any position besides catcher.
GSS: What will you miss the most about playing at Riverside?
CN: I’ll miss getting to practice every day with my best friends. We have fun. Win or lose, we flush it the next day. The bus rides are always amazing, everyone is always talkative and friendly with each other. It’s a big group of brothers. That’s what I’ll miss.