Sam Cozart
| Sam Cozart | |
|---|---|
| Texas Longhorns – No. 35 | |
| Relief pitcher | |
| Born: July 18, 2006 Orlando, Florida, U.S. | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
Samuel Craig Cozart (born July 18, 2006) is an American college baseball relief pitcher for the Texas Longhorns.
Personal life
[edit]Cozart grew up with his parents Craig and Michelle, along with his two older brothers: Jacob and Caleb.[1] Both of Cozart's brothers played college baseball, with Jacob also currently being a member of the Double-A Rocket City Trash Pandas in the Los Angeles Angels organization.[2] At age five, Cozart began to serve as the bat boy for the High Point Panthers baseball team, where Craig served as the head coach.[1] Michelle homeschooled Cozart and his brothers throughout elementary school so that the family could travel to High Point baseball games.[1]
Starting in middle school, Cozart attended Wesleyan Christian Academy, where he played baseball.[3] In seventh grade, Cozart was the closer for Wesleyan's high school baseball team, and in eighth grade, he was the team's ace.[1] Before his freshman year, Cozart committed to play college baseball for Mississippi State, primarily due to pitching coach Scott Foxhall's relationship with his family.[4] However, following Foxhall's termination in May 2023, Cozart decommitted from Mississippi State and instead committed to Texas A&M after being impressed by their coaching staff.[5] Cozart later flipped his commitment to Texas, following head coach Jim Schlossnagle after he, pitching coach Max Weiner, and recruiting coordinator Nolan Cain joined the staff at Texas.[6] Over the course of his career at Wesleyan, Cozart recorded a 19–1 record with a 1.97 ERA and 283 strikeouts, helping Wesleyan win two state championships in the process.[7]
College career
[edit]Before his freshman year, Cozart played summer collegiate baseball for the West Virginia Black Bears of the MLB Draft League.[8] Cozart made his collegiate debut on February 17, 2026, against Lamar, allowing three hits and one run along with four strikeouts for his first win.[9] On February 24, Cozart set a career-high in strikeouts, registering eight along with one hit and three walks in a win against UTRGV.[10] Cozart was named SEC Freshman of the Week for his performance on March 3 against Houston Christian, in which he allowed one hit with six strikeouts across a season-high 5.0 innings for a win.[11] He was named SEC Freshman of the Week again for consecutive appearances against Alabama on April 17 and 18, in which he pitched a combined 4.0 innings with zero hits and one walk along with eight strikeouts.[12] On the season, Cozart registered a 6–0 record with a 1.72 ERA and 77 strikeouts,[13] with Cozart being named the NCBWA Freshman Pitcher of the Year[14] and the Stopper of the Year Award as a result.[13] Cozart was also tabbed as a unanimous All-American.[15]
During the offseason, coach Schlossnagle indicated that Cozart would join the Texas starting pitcher rotation for the 2027 season.[16] In July, Cozart underwent minor surgery on his right foot.[17]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 Brown, Chip (March 5, 2026). "The Insider: Meet one of the next stars in Longhorns athletics". Horns247. 247 Sports. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- ↑ Davis, Danny (June 13, 2026). "Sam Cozart tries to top his brother during Texas baseball College World Series trip". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- ↑ Roche, Bryant (March 20, 2025). "Texas signee Sam Cozart looks to help Wesleyan Christian shake off slow start to season". Greensboro News & Record. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- ↑ Swindoll, Gene (July 22, 2021). "No. 1 ranked Sam Cozart talks about his commitment to Mississippi State baseball". Gene's Page. 247 Sports. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- ↑ Zimmerlee, Connor (June 29, 2024). "Texas Longhorns Flip Pair of 2025 Texas A&M Baseball Commits". Texas Longhorns on SI. SI.com. Retrieved August 23, 2026.[unreliable source?]
- ↑ Eberts, Wescott (June 27, 2024). "Texas A&M RHP commit Sam Cozart flips to Texas". SB Nation. Retrieved August 23, 2026.[unreliable source?]
- ↑ Kassim, Ehsan (June 12, 2026). "Local legends to national stage, see where CWS stars played high school baseball". USA Today. Retrieved August 23, 2026.
- ↑ Edwards, Johnathan (July 13, 2025). "MLB Draft League Wraps Up First Half of 2025 Season, Black Bears Finish Third". WVSN. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
- ↑ Eckert, David (February 18, 2026). "Sam Cozart could star for Texas baseball. First, he had to make custom, size 18 cleats". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
- ↑ Deleon-Rios, Ylver (February 25, 2026). "Texas baseball stays unbeaten, rolls past UTRGV with shutout victory". The Daily Texan. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
- ↑ Gatlin, Jamie (March 10, 2026). "Longhorns starter Sam Cozart named SEC Freshman of the Week". USA Today. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
- ↑ Gatlin, Jamie (April 21, 2026). "Longhorns baseball star Sam Cozart earns SEC honors". USA Today. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
- 1 2 Bohls, Kirk (June 12, 2026). "Texas freshman Sam Cozart named 'Stopper of the Year' as nation's best relief pitcher". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
- ↑ Deleon-Rios, Ylver (June 11, 2026). "Texas baseball's Sam Cozart, Anthony Pack Jr. tabbed for major national awards". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
- ↑ Gatlin, Jamie (June 26, 2026). "Four Longhorns earn baseball All-American honors". USA Today. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
- ↑ Eckert, David (June 12, 2026). "Sam Cozart was named college baseball's top reliever. Next year, his role will change for the Texas Longhorns". Horns247. 247 Sports. Retrieved August 24, 2026.
- ↑ Davis, Danny (July 31, 2026). "Texas baseball pitcher Sam Cozart recovering from foot surgery ahead of sophomore season". Austin-American Statesman. Retrieved August 24, 2026.