Player of the Day: Matt Koperniak, Memphis Redbirds

The Cardinal Chronicle
Player of the Day: Matt Koperniak, Memphis
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

Matt Koperniak earns The Cardinal Chronicle’s Player of the Day honors after going 3-for-4 with a double and four RBIs in Memphis’ 7-6 extra-inning loss to Omaha on Friday night.

It came in a losing effort, but Koperniak’s bat kept the Redbirds in the game. Memphis needed offense, and Koperniak supplied it from the middle of the order, delivering timely swings and driving in four of the club’s six runs.

His four RBIs marked a season high, and they came on a night when Memphis was trying to hold its place near the top of the International League standings. The Redbirds did not finish the job, falling in 10 innings, but Koperniak’s production gave them every chance to steal one on the road.

Koperniak has long been the kind of player who does not always draw the biggest prospect headlines, but he continues to provide professional at-bats, steady contact, and the ability to impact a game when the lineup needs a lift. Friday night was a perfect example.

Yordalin Peña and Chase Heath both deserve strong mention for Palm Beach. Peña homered and drove in runs, while Heath delivered key production in the Beach Birds’ 7-5 win over Lakeland. But Koperniak’s three-hit, four-RBI night was the strongest offensive performance in the system.

For a Memphis club battling through a tight stretch, Koperniak did his part. The final score went the wrong way, but his bat was the reason the Redbirds were in the fight.

The Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day
Matt Koperniak, Memphis Redbirds
3-for-4, double, four RBIs

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports
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Photo Credit: MiLB.com