After being removed from Tennessee’s starting weekend pitching trio about halfway through the conference schedule, Chase Burns has rebounded to become a menacing postseason threat for Tony Vitello’s Volunteers.
Burns’ outings from the bullpen this season have been solid, but the postseason outings have been game-changing – particularly the one on Monday.
On Monday afternoon in Omaha, with Tennessee down 4-0 in an elimination game against Stanford in the College World Series, Burns stepped on the mound in replacement of starting pitcher Chase Dollander. Burns stepped up and delivered in a tough situation, not only holding Stanford at four runs for the remainder of the game but giving Tennessee an opening to put up six straight runs and take the victory.
Burns finished the Monday outing with nine strikeouts and no runs while only giving up two hits in six innings pitched. NCAA Baseball tweeted after the game that Burns put up “the best relief performance at the Men’s College World Series since 1969” against Stanford.
⚾️ BIG TIME PERFORMER ⚾️
It was a historic afternoon for @ChaseBurns20. He puts up the best relief performance at the Men’s College World Series since 1969! #MCWS x @Vol_Baseball pic.twitter.com/uGUCPWJtw1
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 19, 2023
More from RTI: Tennessee Baseball Comes From Behind To Beat Stanford In College World Series
During Tennessee’s win-or-go-home game against Southern Miss in the Hattiesburg Super Regional, Burns gave Tennessee the burst of life the team needed to get to Omaha. Burns recorded the final eight outs of the game after locking down the final three outs of the Vols’ prior game as well.
“Burns was a little different creature,” Southern Miss HC Scott Berry said after the series. “Sitting there in triple digits, that’s pretty tough there with him.”
M7 | CHASE BURNS IS AN ELECTRIC FACTORY!!! ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️
102 by ’em and Tennessee wiggles out of the seventh with a 4-0 lead!!#GBO // #OTH // #BeatUSM pic.twitter.com/HrRt24Lfuu
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) June 13, 2023
Prior to the Vols’ postseason, Burns’ final three regular-season outings resulted in eight hits and five runs over just 5.1 innings. Since then, Burns has found a groove in the postseason, only giving up a total of eight hits and one run in 16 innings. Here’s a look at Burns’ postseason numbers so far:
Regional: Clemson
6.1 innings pitched, 6 hits, 1 run, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts
Super Regional: Southern Miss
1.0 innings pitched, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout
Super Regional: Southern Miss
2.2 innings pitched, 0 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts
College World Series: Stanford
6.0 innings pitched, 2 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 9 strikeouts
