(The Wayland Baptist Athletics Hall of Honor will induct Rosemary Brown Bowser, Alexey Carvalho, Johnny Cobb, Brett Cook and Andrew Williamson in ceremonies set for 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 4 in McClung University Center. The public is invited.)
After a less than promising start to his collegiate baseball playing career in Colorado,
Brett Cook considered it a positive sign that his very first at-bat as a Wayland Baptist Pioneer resulted in a home run. It was the first of many hits – and homers – for Cook, who in three years established himself as Wayland's all-time hits leader.
While Wayland wasn't Cook's first college choice, once he arrived he made the most of it. Not only did he become an NAIA First Team All-American and set numerous hitting records at WBU, he also met his wife, started a family plus launched a fulfilling coaching career.
A native of Kearny, Ariz., Cook transferred to Wayland in 2007 after two years of mostly struggling at Lamar Community College in Colorado. "Things weren't clicking at Lamar," Cook recalled. "I redshirted my first year then only got a few at-bats the second season. I wasn't able to get onto the field."
Wanting a fresh start somewhere else, Cook's father began lining up visits to colleges across the U.S. "I thought I was about to tour the country," he said. But Cook had family living in the Clovis, N.M., area, so Plainview, and Wayland, appealed to him. He tried out and made the team, thus beginning what has grown into a 16-year relationship...and counting.
"I played in Wayland's summer league instead of driving back to Arizona," Cook said. "I played for Tommy (former assistant coach Tommy McMillan). Coach Bass (head coach Brad Bass) wasn't at my tryout because his dad was sick, and I think Tommy kind of slow-played it and picked me on his team."
It was that fall, in 2007, when Cook homered in his first at-bat, setting the stage to what became three of the most productive years for a Pioneer baseballer. He led the team in hitting every year and played every game – 167 total – in which he was eligible.
As a sophomore playing third base, Cook hit .420.
"I got into that flow state where no matter what I did I was going to get a hit," he said. The Pioneers went 21-28 that season, but broke out with incredible campaigns the next two years when Cook made the switch to second base. "I probably wasn't very good at third and more suited for second," he said.
Cook's junior year saw the 6-foot, 190-pound lefty bat .384 and hit a career-best 20 home runs.
"My junior season was pretty memorable because my power numbers jumped quite a bit," he said. "That may have had something to do with strength, but ultimately it came down to finding a way to square the baseball up and let whatever happens happen."
While his goal was to break the triples record that season, "at some point someone told me I was only a couple home runs away from breaking the single-season home run record."
He got it, then hit 14 more his senior year to also set the career homers record with 41. Both records were short-lived as Kevin Hennessey hit 24 homers in 2010 and a year later broke the career mark with 44. Both those records have since been surpassed, with Cook's 41 career homers now standing sixth.
Cook, who hit a career-high .473 as a senior (Michael Reyes set the team single-season record of .503 in 1993), held eight Pioneer batting records at the end of his career, graduating as the Pioneers' career leader in runs scored (209), hits (269) and doubles (50). He's since been surpassed but still ranks in the top six in all of those categories, as well as slugging percentage (.731) and at-bats (632).
Cook isn't sure which record meant the most to him, but said, "The home-run record was cool, although I never really paid attention to it. It just happened. The next year Eddie Allen came and erased most of those."
The one career record Cook still holds is for batting average at .426, and he still owns single-season marks for most runs (88) and most hits (107).
Cook remembers hitting two homers in one inning at Oklahoma Christian, and against Northwestern Oklahoma State "I hit three home runs in a game, I think on three pitches. The next game against Eastern New Mexico I hit two homers then pulled myself out (in a blowout win) so someone else could play. So I could have had six home runs in two games…maybe."
Not only was Cook enjoying tremendous success, so was the team. His junior season in 2008 the Pioneers posted a then-record 43 wins and ended with a program-high No. 13 NAIA ranking. Cook's senior campaign brought about 43 more wins, a No. 18 ranking, and Wayland's first trip to the NAIA National Tournament. In the opening round in Lubbock, the Pioneers – who in Sooner Athletic Conference play went against No. 1 Oklahoma City University three times – faced off against another SAC juggernaut, now top-ranked Lubbock Christian. The Pioneers won one of three against LCU to end the regular-season, then in the NAIA Opening Round – in addition to beating Northwood of Dallas and William Jewel (Mo.) – split against LCU to force a final game to determine who advanced to the NAIA World Series. The Chaps won, 15-6.
Cook, who mostly batted lead-off, was named All-SAC, All-SAC Gold Glove and NAIA First-Team All-American.
He credits Bass with helping him become a better hitter.
"Coach Bass wanted me to change my stance, and I kind of resisted and struggled with that. But ultimately I took the advice and started working the way he wanted me to work. It turned out pretty good."
In addition, Cook credits his ability to focus for his success both at the plate and in the field. "I just got really good at changing my focus to what was important."
That's a lesson Cook, who's always worn No. 2, now tries to impart on Pioneer players as associate head coach, a position to which he was promoted in 2022 after serving first as graduate assistant coach for two years then assistant for 11.
Cook – who with wife Brandi, a college readiness teacher at Plainview High School, have two children: Bennette, age 7, and Bowen, 4 – said being selected for the WBU Athletics Hall of Honor "is a testament to God's work and finding a place where I was comfortable and that felt like home. I was just trying to find a place I could play and was fortunate enough to get to play every single game for three years."
2007: 21-28 (6-15), 49G, .420 174AB, 49R, 73H, 15, 2, 7HR, 33RBI, .649SLG, 25BB, 28SO, 11-16 SB
2008 ranked 13th: 43-16-1 (21-9)All-SAC 2B, 60G, .384, 232AB, 72R, 89H, 18, 6, 20HR, 58RBI, .772, 23BB, 32SO, 4-8SB
2009 ranked 18th: 43-15 (19-11) 58G, .473, 226AB, 88R, 107H, 17, 2, 14HR, 61RBI, .752, 31BB, 37 SO, 14-18 SB
