In the midst of his senior season, Cooper Bryant made the next stage of his baseball career official: The Oran senior signed to Three Rivers baseball on Thursday, April 30, in front of friends and family, reuniting with brother Parker Bryant in Poplar Bluff.
Cooper has a legendary legacy at Oran: Part of well over 60 wins so far, a state championship in 2024, a third-place finish in 2025 and he’s been tasked with leading the charge this season for a young Eagles side that’s hoping to make one last run.
But the theme of Thursday was honoring the next step he’ll be taking, and he seemed plenty excited to join his brother as a Raider next season as he recapped the special moment.
“It's really special,” Cooper said. “I always watched my brother growing up, and when he went to Three Rivers last year, it helped create a path for me.
“It also showed me how good you really have to be to compete at the college level.”
It wasn’t something that was just handed out, either. Cooper had to show up on Three Rivers’ campus and throw a bullpen in front of head coach Matt Palmer, who liked what he saw enough to give the younger Bryant brother a shot in the black and gold.
Cooper said that the relationship between himself and the coaching staff has long been established, as he anticipates finishing his senior season as an Eagle before moving south to join a competitive Raider squad this fall.
“It's really good,” Cooper said of his relationship with his future coaches. “I had Coach Palmer coach me last year in summer ball for the Missouri Bulls, and I really liked him. Dave Lawson, their assistant coach, was my coach for four years before that on the Bulls.”
Nobody is pretending that the Eagles are off to the best start this season. But Cooper, who has more experience in the playoffs than the majority of Southeast Missouri players can vouch for, knows that the prime of these players is still in front of them.
Heading into the final five games of the regular season next week, Cooper talked about what’s left on his plate in high school before he doffs the blue and white for good.
“We've got some good teams in our district,” Cooper said. “I really don't feel like we've been playing to the level that we can.
“I think once we get to that level, we’re going to be pretty solid.”
Cole B. Lee - Daily American Republic