Hartford, Conn. - Trinity College baseball senior tri-captain Matt Koperniak (Adams, Mass.), who graduated last month with a bachelor's degree in biology and was set to use his final year of eligibility playing for Division I Kansas State University in 2021, signed a free agent contract with the MLB's St. Louis Cardinals this afternoon.  Koperniak is the first Bantam to sign a MLB contract since James Wood '10 was drafted in the 47th round of the MLB Draft and signed with the Seattle Mariners.  There were only five rounds of the 2020 MLB First Year Player Draft on June 10 and 11, and then MLB teams could sign as many free agents as a team would want. 

"I don't think it's really kicked in in yet. It's kind of a cliche, but it really hasn't kicked in yet," Koperniak said. "It's still a good feeling today. I've been kind of high on adrenaline all day."

Koperniak was a two-time All-NESCAC honoree who led the Bantams to a 30-9 overall record and the NCAA Division III Regional Finals in 2019.  Koperniak paced the Bantams with a .394 batting average (3rd in NESCAC), along with a NESCAC-best 63 hits, 13 doubles, three triples, six home runs, and 31 RBIs in his junior season.  In three games in 2020, Koperniak batted .538 with two doubles, a home run, three runs, and four RBIs to lead the No. 20-ranked Bantams to a 3-0 start before the season ended early due to the COVID-19 outbreak. He finished his Trinity career with a .373 batting average, 152 hits, 13 homers, 30 doubles, and 75 RBIs, and has also been a D3Baseball.com All-New England selection.  

"Kope is a 4-tool player and the best hitter I have seen in my 11 years of coaching," said Trinity Head Coach Bryan Adamski. "Between my time at Trinity, Amherst, and North Adams, I have coached numerous players who were drafted, and he has separated himself from even that group. Sky is the limit for him, he can really hit. If he keeps getting opportunities, he will continue to produce."

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