Biography and Career Highlights

2010: Transitioned from starter to relief pitcher ... appeared in a career-high 31 games, tied with Kenny Long for most appearances in program history ... earned All-Missouri Valley Conference First Team selection ... led the team and ranked fifth in program history for fewest walks allowed per nine innings (1.29), which ranked No. 11 among Division I players ... saved a career-high five games in 24 relief appearances, which ranked second on the team ... went 3-1 with a 2.09 ERA as a reliever ... finished the season 4-5 overall and posted a 4.63 ERA ... led the team with 78 strikeouts and set a new program record by recording 36 strikeouts looking ... walked just 12 ... allowed a career-low 48 runs on 83 hits ... ranked second on the team with 83.2 innings pitched ... allowed batters to hit just .255 against him, which ranked second lowest on the team ... became Illinois State's all-time innings pitched leader with 334.0 career innings ... closed out Illinois State's 17-8 win over Wichita State in the championship game of the State Farm Valley Tournament (5/29) by recording a strikeout to secure ISU's first tournament title since 1994 ... selected in the 32nd round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals.

2009: Appeared in 14 games and started 12 ... tabbed as a Preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference selection ... threw a career-high and team-best 91.2 innings while posting a career-best 3.63 ERA ... struck out 69 batters and walked just 15 ... allowed 1.47 walks per nine innings, which ranked No. 32 among NCAA Division I players ... threw a career-high six complete games, which tied for fifth among NCAA Division I players ... mark was also more than the combined team total of seven staffs in the Valley ... opened the season with three consecutive complete games en route to a 2-1 record and 0.82 ERA ... allowed five hits or less in six different starts ... pitched at least 6.0 innings in each start and led the Valley with 7.18 innings per start ... struck out five or more batters seven times, including a season-best 10 against Missouri State (4/11) ... limited opposing hitters to a .246 average ... first among Valley pitchers with over 50 innings pitched with 1.08 WHIP ... earned his second career save after pitching three innings of scoreless relief against Indiana State in the State Farm MVC Tournament (5/21).

2008: Made 14 appearances, with a career-high 13 starts on the mound ... an a All-Missouri Valley Conference Honorable Mention selection ... finished with only nine walks allowed in 89.1 innings of work, which ranked No. 1 among NCAA Division I players ... received zero run support in three of seven losses and received only one run in another two defeats ... led the team with 72 strikeouts and 89.1 innings pitched ... tied for the team lead with two pickoffs ... allowed only one earned run in five innings of work during his first start at Tennessee Tech (2/24) ... that performance earned him a spot on the Austin Peay Invitational All-Tournament Team ... struck out a career-high 11 batters in a season-high 8.1 innings pitched against Chicago State (4/19) ... picked up his first-career save in his only relief appearance of the season against Bradley (5/4) ... threw a complete-game and surrendered only five hits at Missouri State (4/25) ... opponents batted .274 against the left-hander ... named a Central Illinois Collegiate League All-Star while playing for the Dupage County Dragons during the summer.

2007: Appeared in 13 games, with 11 starts on the mound ... led the team with four wins ... walked just 10 batters in 69.1 innings pitched ... picked up first career victory in a 12-10 defeat of then No. 5 Arkansas (2/24) ... struck out four and earned a complete-game victory over Southeast Missouri State (3/10), the only complete game of the season by a Redbird hurler ... threw six scoreless innings in a 3-0 defeat of Evansville (4/22) ... struck out a season-high five batters at Bradley (4/29) ... recorded at least one strikeout in 12-of-13 appearances.

Elk Grove HS: Chicago Tribune and Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association (IHSBCA) First-Team All-State selection as a senior ... Chicago Sun Times First-Team All-Area selection and all-conference pitcher ... posted a 12-1 record on the mound and a 0.80 ERA in 104 innings pitched ... struck out 143 and walked just 11 while limiting opponents to a .123 batting average ... had back-to-back games of 15 and 14 strikeouts ... hit .380 with six home runs and 31 RBI at the plate ... helped Elk Grove post a record-setting 32 wins in his final season and advance to the IHSA state quarterfinals ... as a junior, had a 1.42 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 79 innings ... all-conference and Cook County All-Area selection as a junior ... set a school record for wins with 19 as a freshman.

Personal: Born 6-10-88 in Des Plaines, Ill. ... son of Timothy Copeland ... has two older sisters, Lauren and Jennifer ... major: recreation management.

Honors and Awards

2010 All-MVC First Team
2009 Preseason All-MVC
2008 All-MVC Honorable Mention

Photos

Video Highlights

· Copeland Previews 2009 Campaign (4.27.09)

News Stories

· Copeland Awarded Schuster Endowed Scholarship
· Redbirds Beat Sycamores in Tourney, 7-3
· ISU Earns Doubleheader Sweep over Cougars

· Redbirds Take Series Over Bradley in Extra-Innings, 10-9

· Creighton Rallies Past Redbirds, 10-6