Cooper McMurray Earns Gold Glove Finalist Nod: A Defensive Force Rising in College Baseball
When Cooper McMurray jogs onto the field, he doesn’t just take his position—he commands it. This season, the Auburn first baseman’s glove became a magnet for line drives, errant throws, and ground balls that had no business being outs. Now, McMurray’s excellence has been officially recognized, as he has been named a finalist for the Rawlings Gold Glove Team—an elite honor bestowed upon the best defensive players in college baseball.
For McMurray, a Tulsa native and redshirt junior, the road to national recognition wasn’t paved with hype. It was built through countless early mornings, infield drills under the Alabama sun, and a relentless belief that defense is just as defining as the long ball. At 6-foot-3, McMurray is often praised for his power at the plate, but in 2025, it was his glove that did the talking.
“He’s a vacuum at first,” said Auburn head coach Butch Thompson. “You don’t see many guys with that size move like a shortstop. His footwork, his stretch, the instinct—he turns errors into outs.”
Statistically, McMurray was a fortress. He posted a .997 fielding percentage, with just one error in 412 total chances. He led all SEC first basemen in putouts and was involved in 41 double plays—many of them saving crucial innings during Auburn’s push for the NCAA Super Regionals. In April, he recorded a full-extension diving stop against LSU that ended up as No. 3 on SportsCenter’s Top 10. It wasn’t an out he should’ve made. But he did.
“That’s Cooper,” said teammate and shortstop Caden Green. “He makes you confident throwing across the diamond. Even when you mess up, you know he might bail you out.”
Off the field, McMurray remains a quiet leader. He’s the type of player who cleans up the practice bucket without being asked, who mentors freshmen during 6 a.m. lifts, who watches video on his own time—not for show, but because he wants to be better.
His Gold Glove finalist status also carries historical weight. Should he win, McMurray would become the first Auburn first baseman to earn the honor in over a decade, cementing his legacy in a program known more for sluggers than slick-fielding infielders.
“People always talk about my bat,” McMurray told reporters after the announcement. “But I’ve always believed defense is what wins championships. This nomination means the world to me.”
As Major League scouts take notice—some projecting him as a mid-round pick in the upcoming MLB Draft—it’s clear that McMurray is more than just a slugger with soft hands. He’s the embodiment of what the modern corner infielder can be: powerful, agile, and defensively elite.
With the Gold Glove awards set to be announced in late June, one thing is certain—whether he takes home the trophy or not, Cooper McMurray has already made his mark on college baseball’s biggest stage, one impossible scoop at a time.
Would you like a version where he wins the Gold Glove, or a continuation that follows his journey into the MLB?
