SHEPHERDSTOWN, W. Va. - Graduate student Chad Cooperman (Allentown, Pa./Salisbury) struck out eight batters to become the program's all-time leader in career strikeouts and head coach Mike Collins earned his 315th career victory to become the program's all-time winningest coach as the Bloomsburg University baseball team split its season-opening doubleheader at Shepherd University on Friday afternoon. Aided by Cooperman's performance, the Huskies took game one by a 6-4 final before the Rams rebounded for a 6-1 win in the nightcap.

Entering the game, Cooperman needed five strikeouts to become the program's strikeout king and he wasted little time breaking the record as he struck out five Rams through the first two innings. His punchout of Zach Doss to end the bottom of the second gave him 198 strikeouts for his career, passing Ashton Raines (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven) who finished his career with 197 from 2016-19. Cooperman would tack on three more strikeouts on Friday to become the first pitcher in program history to strike out 200 batters in his career.

Collins, meanwhile, entered the season tied with Matt  Haney, Sr., for the most wins in program history with 314. Haney coached the Huskies from 1991-2005 and guided Bloomsburg to the North Atlantic Regional Championship and a program-record 37 wins in the 1995 season - still the program's only trip to the Division II College World Series. Collins, in his 16th season as the Huskies' skipper, quickly narrowed the gap on Haney by winning 75 games since the 2018 season. He guided the team to its first Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) title since 1965 in 2019 and has led the team to back-to-back Atlantic Regional appearances in 2018 and 2019. Collins and the Huskies won nine of their first ten games during the COVID-shortened 2020 season to pull himself into a tie with Haney for the start of the 2021 campaign.

The Huskies staked Cooperman to a lead in the top of the first inning as Bloomsburg took advantage four walks, a wild pitch, and a passed ball to score the first two runs of the opener. Redshirt junior Ben Newbert (Bala Cynwyd, Pa./Harriton) drove home the first run of the game with a groundout that scored graduate student Andrew Holmes (Egg Harbor Township, N.J./Egg Harbor Township) who led off the inning with a free pass. Later, redshirt junior Carter Chasanov (Magnolia, Del./Polytech), who also walked, scored on a passed ball to plate the second run of the frame. Bloomsburg added a run in the second as Chasanov plated redshirt junior Jake Reed (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) with a run-scoring single to right field to extend the advantage to 3-0.

Cooperman had his only rough inning in the bottom of the third as the Rams touched up the righthander for four runs on three hits in the frame to take a 4-3 lead. Tommy Gibson had the big blow with a two-run double while the hosts also took advantage of a bases-loaded walk and a run-scoring wild pitch during the four-run inning.

Bloomsburg responded with a three-run fourth inning to reclaim a 6-4 lead. Holmes reached on an error with one out and then advanced to second on a two-out single by Newbert. Redshirt junior Kyle OFier (Pittston Township, Pa./Pittston Area) provided the big blow with a three-run home run to center field to give the Huskies the lead for good. It was OFier's 19th career round-tripper, tying him for seventh on the program's all-time list with Ben Henicle (1995-98) and Scott Bruder (1996-99).

Cooperman settled down over his final two innings of work and then gave way to redshirt freshman Nate Baranski (Larksville, Pa./Wyoming Valley West) who slammed the door on the Rams for his first save of the season and second of his collegiate career. Baranski allowed only one hit in two scoreless innings while striking out three.

Cooperman allowed four runs on six hits in his five innings of work to earn his first victory of the season and the 12th of his career. He walked three and struck out eight.

The Huskies had six hits in the opener with OFier going 2-for-3 with the big three-run home run.

In the nightcap, Shepherd scored a pair of runs in the first, second, and fourth innings against graduate student Ed Herbener (Drums, Pa./MMI Preparatory School) to jump out to a 6-0 advantage. Freshman Michael Standen (Drexel Hill, Pa./Monsignor Bonner) came on in relief with one out in the bottom of the fourth and enjoyed a sensational collegiate debut on the mound. The lefthander from Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, pitched the final 2.2 innings and allowed one hit and one walk while striking out five during his scoreless outing.

Bloomsburg's only offense came in the top of the seventh as freshman Wyatt Metzger (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove Area) belted a pinch-hit home run off of Cole Dunn to lead off the frame in his first collegiate plate appearance.

Herbener suffered the loss as he allowed six runs on eight hits. He walked one and struck out five.

Meanwhile, the offense was held in check by Shepherd starter Steve Bowley who limited the Huskies to four runs and a walk over five scoreless innings. He struck out five in his first start of the season. Chasanov and redshirt sophomore Tyler Wiik (Fogelsville, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh) paced Bloomsburg with two hits apiece while Metzger and OFier had the other hits in game two.

The two teams will close out the season series on Saturday, March 13, with a doubleheader at Danny Litwhiler Field. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.