Amherst baseball player Cooper Bingham commits to Bowling Green

Amherst is sending another baseball player to the Mid-American Conference. All-Ohio shortstop Cooper Bingham announced Monday night on X that he had orally committed to play at Bowling Green State University. "I went on a visit with (assistant) coach (Matt) Rembielak and met the head coach (Kyle) Hallock and loved them both. They have a great coaching staff," Bingham said. Bingham was also impressed by the facilities at Bowling Green, including the turf field at Warren E. Steller Field, which was installed in 2025. "I love the development they've done there. That really helped with my decision," Bingham said. Bingham was the starting shortstop on Amherst's 2025 Division II state finalist team. Last spring, he moved up to the No. 3 spot in the order and led the offense with a .475 average, four home runs and nine doubles. "Between his sophomore and junior years, I kinda challenged Cooper," Amherst coach Matt Rositano said. "I told him I wanted to bat him in the No. 3 spot ahead of Landon (Wolf) and (Harrison) Schneider. And without any hesitation he said, 'Absolutely.' He worked his butt off in the weight room to get bigger, stronger and faster." When Bingham gets to Bowling Green in the fall of 2027, he'll be reunited with his former teammate Schneider, last year's Lorain County co-Mr. Baseball Award winner, who is joining the Falcons this year. "I called Harrison a couple times to talk to him about the coaches and what he thought about everything and he helped confirm that this is the spot for me." Bingham said. The fact that Bowling Green's campus is less than a two-hour drive from Amherst was another selling point for Bingham. "I wanted to stay close," he said. "My parents and my grandparents love to watch me play and that's a big thing for me, so staying close to home was important for me and my family." Bingham is the fourth player from Amherst to commit to a MAC school in the past year, joining brothers Cole and Cael Charles, who are both Kent State commits. "People think northern baseball is kinda iffy but the really good guys in northeast Ohio like to stay close to home and prove everyone wrong," Bingham said. Even with all the talent Bingham brings to the field, Rositano said it's his mental approach that really sets him apart from his peers. "One of the biggest things in baseball is confidence and Cooper is one of those kids who just exudes confidence," Rositano said. "You could put him in any situation and the pressure is not going to get to him." Bingham credits Rositano and the rest of the Comets coaching staff with helping him become a Division I commit. "Coach Roz has prepared me well," Bingham said. "He's been hard on me but has really helped me. I really appreciate everything he's done for me and how he's developed me as a player and a person. "One of the biggest reasons for our success is the coaching staff. They coach to your style of play. They coach everyone differently and that's what players need. They push us to be our best." Contact Todd Shapiro at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.