Former Tennessee baseball star and national champion Blake Burke comes to Knoxville this week with the Biloxi Shuckers to face the Smokies in a six-game series at Covenant Health Park. The series begins on Tuesday and runs through Sunday with first pitch at 7 p.m. ET for all games except for Sunday when first pitch is at 1 p.m. ET.
It’s a chance for Tennessee baseball fans to watch a pair of former Volunteer stars as Andrew Fischer is also a member of the Biloxi Shuckers with Burke.
Burke is in the midst of a strong second professional season. After spending part of the 2025 season in High-A Wisconsin and Double-A Biloxi, Burke has spent the entirety of this season with the Shuckers.
The first baseman has been stellar this year, slashing .269/.345/.560 with 19 home runs, 17 doubles, two triples and 61 RBIs in 69 games played. While Burke’s on-base percentage is slightly down compared to lat season, it’s still a solid mark while he continues to slug at a high level with both home runs and doubles.
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The Milwaukee Brewers selected Burke with the No. 34 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft shortly after he helped lead Tennessee to the 2024 national championship.
Burke was a three-year contributor at Tennessee, splitting playing time as the designated hitter in his freshman season before starting at first base in both his sophomore and junior seasons. The left-handed slugger finished his career with 50 home runs, second to only Christian Moore for the most in the history of the Vols’ program. Burke slashed .379/.449/.702 while helping lead Tennessee to the 2024 National Championship. He hit 20 home runs and broke the Tennessee single-season record with 30 doubles.
Biloxi posted a 35-30 record in the first half of the year, winning the Southern League South division. The Shuckers currently have a 8-4 record in the second half standings. Knoxville posted a 38-31 record in the second half of the year, winning the Southern League North division. The Smokies currently have a 8-4 record in the second half.
