June 8, 2005

For the second straight season, the George Mason baseball team saw a pair of its former stars selected in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft as centerfielder Matt Cooksey and first baseman Chris Looze were selected on the second day of the two-day 50-round draft.

Cooksey was the first Patriot selected as he was chosen in the 32nd round by Toronto. In the 37th round, Toronto called his teammates name, selecting Looze. Not selected in the draft was Stacen Gant, a two-time first-team All-CAA pitcher and Mason's all-time leader in wins, winning percentage, appearances, innings pitched and strikeouts.

Cooksey was a four-year starter for Mason, setting school records for runs, walks, steals and triples. He also is the Colonial Athletic Association's all-time leader in walks and triples. This past season, he was first-team All-CAA and among the nation's leaders in steals, runs and batting average.

Looze was a three-year starter for the Patriots, setting school records for home runs and RBI. He was a three-time All-CAA player, earning second team honors in 2005 and 2003 and first-team honors in 2004. In 2004, he also was a second-team All-American and set the school record for RBI in a season.