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Tournaments  | Story  | 6/29/2023

Cope Stands Tall

Olivia Bontempo     
Photo: RJ Cope (Perfect Game)
RJ Cope, the 6-foot-7 left-handed pitcher from Lawrenceville, Georgia, is one of the top 2-way players in the class of 2026.  

This weekend Cope and the GBSA Rays Premier Scout 2026 team can be found up at the East Cobb Baseball Complex in Marietta, Georgia, competing for the 21st WWBA 15U National Championship title.  



The Rays have been chipping away all week, advancing as far as the Round of 64. In a close game this morning, the Rays walked away with a 3-2 win over the Home Plate Chili Dogs 15U Thompson team to advance to the Round of 64.  

After being unable to score through five innings, the Rays were able to tack on their first run and get their offensive momentum going courtesy of an RBI single from Cope in the bottom of the sixth. From there, the Rays were able to post a pair of runs, putting them up 3-2, going on to hold the Chili Dogs in the top of the seventh, clinching the win.   

“It felt great,” Cope said this afternoon about his at-bat. “I’m just doing the things that my father taught me. I work (on my offense) every day and every night, and implementing it is something that I need to do more often, but at that time, I just did it, and it worked.”   

So far this season, through roughly six games pitched, Cope has collected 19 strikeouts, more than triple that of the number of batters he has walked. Cope continues to prove he is a force on the rubber, especially this week, topping out his fastball at 88 mph, alongside a 76 mph curveball and a 76 mph slider.  

“On the mound, I am just doing the best that I can at starting with strike one and then going off of that. It helps out with the walks, it helps out with the balls, and it just helps out with my counts,” said Cope about his pitching. “To be able to just compete and do everything that I need to do on the mound to help my team get a win is all that I need to worry about.” 


Recently, Cope had the opportunity to play at the Sophomore National Showcase. The invitation-only event allowed players to showcase their skills in a variety of different drills. Outfield and infield defensive work, the 60-yard dash, batting practice, and competitive games are among some of the events that Cope competed in.  

Like other top players from this event, Cope, a 14U Select Fest player who is uncommitted, will now have to wait until August 1 of his junior year to continue talking to college coaches, in light of the new NCAA recruiting rules. The goal of these new rules is to slow the recruiting process and allow for more player development.  


After a tough loss this afternoon, you will now be able to find Cope back at East Cobb on July 6 for the start of the WWBA 16U National Championship, playing for the GBSA Rays Scout 2025 team.   

“First of all, I just want to say that my teammates have been great this season already,” Cope said about GBSA. “We've all made big changes and I just love the way everybody wants to compete. I love the drive.” 
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