Samford University Athletics

2018 SECOND-TEAM ALL-SOUTHERN CONFERENCE PRESEASON SELECTION
2018 NCBWA PRESEASON STOPPER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
SOCON’S ACTIVE CAREER LEADER IN EARNED RUN AVERAGE (2.79)
SOCON’S ACTIVE CAREER LEADER IN SAVES (20)
SOCON’S ACTIVE CAREER LEADER IN FEWEST HITS ALLOWED PER NINE INNINGS (7.23)
SOCON’S ACTIVE CAREER LEADER IN LOWEST OPPONENT BATTING AVERAGE (.221)
2017 COLLEGE BASEBALL FOUNDATION NATIONAL PITCHER OF THE YEAR SEMIFINALIST
2017 SECOND-TEAM ALL-SOUTHERN CONFERENCE
2017 SECOND-TEAM ALL-SOUTHERN CONFERENCE – MEDIA
2017 NCBWA MIDSEASON WATCH LIST
2017 NCBWA PRESEASON STOPPER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
2017 SECOND-TEAM ALL-SOUTHERN CONFERENCE PRESEASON SELECTION
2016 SOUTHERN CONFERENCE SPRING ACADEMIC ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
 
2018 (Senior):  Earned Second-Team All-Southern Conference preseason honors on Feb. 8 . . . named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Watch List, which is comprised of the top relief pitchers in the nation . . . enters the season ranked first on the SoCon’s active career leaders list in earned run average (2.79), saves (20), lowest opponent batting average (.221) and fewest hits allowed per nine innings (7.23).
 
2017 (Junior):  Named a semifinalist for National Pitcher of the Year, it was announced by the College Baseball Foundation . . . earned Second-Team All-SoCon honors . . . named a Second-Team All-SoCon member by the media . . . named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Watch List, which is comprised of the top relief pitchers in the nation . . . also named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List, which consisted of the best 40 relief pitchers in the country . . . earned Second-Team All-Southern Conference preseason honors on Feb. 9 . . . closed out the season ranked first on the SoCon’s active career leaders list in earned run average (2.79), saves (20), lowest opponent batting average (.221) and fewest hits allowed per nine innings (7.23) . . . ranked third on the SoCon’s active career leaders list with 78 appearances . . . played a key role in the Bulldogs finishing the season ranked first in the SoCon in earned run average (4.35), fewest runs allowed (288), fewest doubles allowed (73), opposing batting average (.247), fewest earned runs allowed (231) and fewest hits allowed (439) . . . finished the season ranked first in the SoCon in both saves (12) and games finished (25) . . . closed out the year with a 2.25 earned run average and a 5-1 record on the mound . . . led the team with 28 appearances and notched 44 strikeouts in 48.0 innings of action . . . lifted the Bulldogs to a key 4-3 victory over Furman on May 7, by hurling six innings of shutout baseball in relief duty after entering the game in the top of the fourth inning down 3-0 . . . earned his third varsity letter.
 
2016 (Sophomore):  Finished the year ranked seventh in the nation with 37 appearances . . . closed out the campaign ranked second in the SoCon in both appearances (37) and saves (8) . . . finished the season with eight saves and 40 strikeouts in 42.1 innings pitched . . . closed out the year with a team-high 37 appearances . . . tallied a 3.61 earned run average and a 2-2 record on the mound . . . named to the 2016 SoCon Spring Academic All-Conference Team . . . earned his second varsity letter.
 
2015 (Freshman):  Tallied 15 appearances out of the bullpen and registered a stellar 1.59 earned run average . . . finished the season with the team’s best ERA . . . notched a 1-0 record on the year and accumulated 17 innings of game action . . . compiled 21 strikeouts and only allowed six bases on balls . . . only allowed a total of three earned runs and 13 total hits . . . logged a season-high three innings of work against Troy on April 14 . . . registered a pair of five-strikeout performances against Alabama A&M (April 1) and Murray State (April 10) . . . only allowed runs in two of his 15 appearances . . . didn’t allow a single extra-base hit . . . opened the season with four straight shutout performances in relief and didn’t relinquish his first earned run of the year until his fifth outing at Jacksonville on March 15 . . . earned his first varsity letter.
 
2014 (Redshirt):  Redshirted.
 
High School:  Prepped at Pinson Valley High School in Pinson, Ala. . . . also lettered in golf and cross country.
 
Personal:  Born Nov. 6, 1994 . . . son of Pam and Mike Burns . . . older brother, Joe, played baseball at Samford in 2011 and 2012 . . . majoring in pharmacy.