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JUPITER, Fla. — Surely it’s selling Cardinals short to say there are only three reasons to root for the 27-year-old undrafted prospect to get his shot in the big leagues this season.

Those who know him much better probably could run down a laundry list of reasons that he’s worthy of your well wishes and positive vibes.

However, three reasons jump out to the person at the keyboard for this particular column. And yes, at least one reason might be a bit selfish.

You don’t see many former Division III college athletes reach the pinnacle of their sport. You certainly don’t see them come those from small liberal arts colleges known more for their academics than for producing star athletes.

If you’re not aware, Koperniak attended Trinity College in Connecticut, and he played baseball in .

If you even know that NESCAC stands for New England Small College Conference, then you’re already likely in a relatively small group of people alive. Maybe you read U.S. News and World Report college rankings when you’re bored.

That group of small schools definitely can give you a general manager or president of baseball operations. Chicago Cubs top decision maker Jed Hoyer and Pittsburgh Pirates top baseball official Ben Cherington are NESCAC alums.

That conference might even squeak out a sports reporter or two from time to time (Yes, including the columnist at the keyboard for this piece).

So, as a one time Division III athlete who grew up in the Northeast and went to a NESCAC school, it’s a given that Koperniak has my attention. Even if his performance has helped him shed that label as the underdog from the small school.

“I thought it was definitely some extra motivation, for sure,� said Koperniak, who the Cardinals added to their 40-man roster this offseason. “Just trying to get drafted and get into pro ball is hard enough as it is. It’s so competitive out there.

“Just being able to get into pro ball from a Division 3 school was definitely motivation for me. It made me just keep working hard every day. Now, five years in, it’s just about being a professional now.�

Personal bias aside, Koperniak also exhibits that sort of quiet confidence that makes it difficult not to want to see him succeed.

His senior year of college came in the COVID-19 pandemic. So he had an extra year of eligibility that he planned to use at a major Division I program, Kansas State.

But then, with the MLB draft shortened to five rounds, he got the chance to jump into professional baseball as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He signed with the Cardinals and started pursuing his big-league aspirations.

A 6-foot tall, 200-pound left-handed hitting outfielder, Koperniak went into professional baseball with his eyes wide open. He knew he’d have to prove that he could adapt and improve to a much higher level of competition.

Koperniak also knew he had one trait that would help keep him around, and he’d have to hone it and let it carry him up the ladder.

“I was always a pretty good hitter,� Koperniak said. “Just trying to not put pressure on that, but know that — if anything — my bat could play at each level. So I just knew that if I was going to make it up a couple more levels, I just had to keep hitting.

“I was fortunate enough to keep doing that. Along the way, I definitely got better at all other aspects of the game as well.�

He never had the hype or attention that came with being labeled a top prospect. He didn’t get fast-tracked and pushed aggressively toward the majors.

In 2021, he spent most of the season at Single-A, finished the year at Double-A and then repeated Double-A again in 2022. The next season, he again spent time in both Double-A (33 games) and Triple-A (96 games). Last season, he spent the entire season at Triple-A (122 games).

Last season, he batted .309, clubbed 20 home runs and slugged .512 with an .882 OPS. For his career in the minors, he has slashed .298/.373/.461.

He has just kept hitting, and he has done it with a rather simple focus. He put the process over results.

Instead of statistics, he studied the daily reports from the organization on his swing decisions, evaluating if he swung at good pitches or bad pitches, if did damage on the pitches he put in play.

“It was just sort of trying to take it day to day and focus on getting better at my approach, pitch recognition, stuff like that,� Koperniak said. “Just tried to take it as a work in progress.�

This spring, Koperniak earned his way to big-league camp as a member of the Cardinals’ 40-man roster. At some point this season, he could be called upon to provide reinforcements in the majors.

The third reason that Koperniak getting to the big leagues?

As an undrafted free agent from a tiny Division III school who flew under the radar for a lot of his career in the minors, Koperniak would serve as a fitting salute to now-retired former Cardinals head of player development Gary LaRocque.

The team rightfully underwent a revamping of its player development system this offseason. A big part of that was devoting resources (money, technology and staffing) to the farm system that were sorely lacking.

LaRocque got dealt those cards, and he played them the best he could. Surely, he would have appreciated those upgrades now being put in place. Instead, on his way out, he took some shrapnel for decisions made above his pay grade.

But Koperniak’s success would signify one last winning hand for LaRocque.