CONWAY, S.C. - Four former Coastal Carolina baseball standouts have put the finishing touches on preparing for life after baseball and will officially receive their graduation diplomas as part of the University's graduation ceremony this December. Three of the four will graduate cum laude and all will have earned at least a 3.0-grade point average (GPA).
 
Billy Cooke, Scott McKeon, Keaton Weisz, and Cory Wood all left college early to pursue their dreams of becoming a Major League Baseball (MLB) player after signing professionally with an MLB affiliation before their CCU careers were completed. However, the reality is that the chance of any of them making a big payday from playing baseball is slim. Three of the four were released this past spring. Only Wood is hanging on with a major league team, the Pittsburgh Pirates.
 
"I am proud of these guys for taking a big step to prepare for the bigger competition in life," says long-time Coastal baseball head coach Gary Gilmore, who's Chanticleers won the College World Series title in 2016. "A huge part of our recruiting is to paint a picture of life beyond baseball and to convince them that the most important part of being at Coastal is getting their degree. Baseball is a dream that someday will be taken away, but education can never be taken away. A college degree prepares you for life. It's difficult to get in the front door in business without it. But, it's a hard thing for a young man to understand when he is in high school and he is still invincible."
 
None of the four plans to be on campus for the in-person graduation ceremony on December 11, but they may take part in a virtual graduation planned for December 18. McKeon and Wood are currently home in the Raleigh, N.C. area, while Cooke is in Florida and Weiss is in Texas. Each of the four left with a year of college eligibility remaining.
 
Wood, an infielder who started 158 games for Coastal and was noted for always getting his uniform dirty, signed with the Pirates following his junior year in 2019, when the Chanticleers went 36-26-1 and advanced to NCAA Regional play. It was only a few months later that the COVID-19 virus pandemic took hold and his chance at progressing in his first season of professional baseball was put on hold. But rather than sit idle, Wood and the others used the time to finish the credit hours they needed to earn his degree. Wood is getting a degree in marketing and will graduate cum laude, with an overall grade point average of 3.5.
 
"I always planned on finishing up my course work," says the 23-year-old Wood, who is working out and awaiting a chance to attend spring training. "I'm just taking it a day at a time right now. But if baseball doesn't work out, I'd like to do something in sports."
 
Weisz, who like Wood left following the 2019 season, also earned academic honors while earning his degree in communications and public relations. He plans on studying for a law degree in the near future but hasn't given up on baseball. The 24-year-old third baseman who was drafted in the late rounds by the Los Angeles Angels, admits he's a long shot. But there is one thing for sure; Weisz will work hard, just like he did in the classroom.
 
"I was just an average student, but when I came to Coastal something clicked. I took responsibility and pride in my academics," he says. "I am proud of graduating with a 3.6 average. But I wouldn't be the student I became without coach (Walter) Goffigan. He's the best academic advisor any school could have. All the coaches here teach us so much more than baseball."
 
In college, there is time to improve. That was true for outfielder Billy Cooke, who came to Coastal from the Orlando area. He played three years for Coastal and ultimately achieved Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year honors in 2017. He started in centerfield for the 2016 National Championship team and led the team with a .353 batting average with 10 home runs the next year.
 
"When I was a freshman, I thought I wasn't good enough to play at Coastal," says the 25-year-old, who Gilmore calls one the of best outfielders he's ever coached. "I had to decide to put in the work to reach my potential in baseball and in the classroom. Looking back, going to Coastal was one of the best decisions I ever made. Coastal baseball is committed to winning and growing young men into adults. I realized my full potential at Coastal."
 
An eighth-round draft choice by the Seattle Mariners, Cooke reached the Triple-A level in 2019 before being released by the organization this past spring. Now he's looking to land on with a team and keep his baseball dream alive. But if things don't work out in baseball, he has a secure back-up plan after earning his degree in business management. He studied hard in his last semester to reach cum laude distinction, with an overall 3.5 GPA.
 
Not to be outdone, McKeon will also graduate with honors (3.0) and a degree in marketing. The 23-year-old was the last of the four to sign professionally. He signed with the Chicago Cubs following a shortened 2020 season. He was initially drafted in the 21st round following the 2019 season but opted to return to Coastal for another season. After first attending community college for two years, he started all 79 games at shortstop for Coastal over the last two years, finishing with a career .344 batting average.
 
"It feels good and I'm proud of what I accomplished at Coastal, both in baseball and in the classroom," says McKeon. "The coaches teach us to be winners on the field and in the classroom."
 
These four raise the number of Chanticleer players signed by MLB teams to 16, but only the 31-year-old infielder Tommy LaStella remains active in the major leagues. LaStella played two seasons at Coastal (2010-11), leading the team in offense each year. He made his major league debut with the Atlanta Braves in 2014 and is currently with the Oakland Athletics.
 
"It's not easy," says Gilmore, who has 974 wins through 25 seasons at Coastal. "People don't realize the sacrifice these kids make to play baseball and pursue their dreams. They don't get to be normal college students. These four players are special people. They are leaders and I have a special relationship with them. I am as proud of my players who succeed in academics as I am of them making All-America in baseball."
 
Coach Gilmore is beaming with pride today.