Senior Chris Cook is from Kingsport, Tennessee. He attended high school at Dobyns-Bennett high school where he played baseball and football.

Chris Cook

“My dad had always played sports,” said Cook. “My brother and I always had some type of ball in our hand’s baseball came naturally for me.”

Cooks father was inducted into the Bucs football hall of fame in 2002.

Prior to ETSU in high school, Cook was named Most Valuable Player in his district during his senior season. He helped his team win back to back conference and region championships.

“My experience at ETSU has been great. I have enjoyed seeing how everything on campus has evolved from the parking garage being built to seeing the new football stadium,” said Cook.

Cook redshirted his first year at ETSU before becoming a starter the next season starting in 47 games. Cook had many accomplishments in his first season for the Bucs such as being named on the All-Freshman team of the A-Sun conference. He also has the longest hitting streak in the school’s history. For the Bucs Cook provided a lot of offense in just his first year scoring the second most runs on the team that season.

In Cooks sophomore season he started all 55 games. That season Cooks’ offensive production increased for the Bucs as he backed .338 with 40 RBI’s on the season. He continued his hot hitting streak in his sophomore season having two 12 game hitting streaks.

Cooks was drafted by the Pirates in his junior season. However due to injury Cook was only able to play in nine games for the Bucs cutting his season short. The following season the Bucs had a fully healthy Cook and he played like it. He had the ninth highest batting average in the conference. He had 91 hits which were second in the conference and he led the conference with 62 runs for the season.

This season Cook is very confident in the team as they currently have a winning record under new head coach Joe Pennucci. “This season is going well, I feel we will bounce back against Tennessee,” said Cook. “Everyone’s confidence is still high we have just hit a rough patch recently.”

Cook gives credit to the arrival of coach Pennucci for the team’s success thus far. “Coach has been awesome,” said Cook. “He has brought so much energy back into the program.”

As far as goals Cook believes the team goal is to win the conference first then make a regional. And if they play to their ability make some noise in regionals.