Kentucky's Devin Burkes reacts to solo home run, credits both pitching staffs in win over Ball State

Kentucky catcher Devin Burkes is having a heck of a last month of play — and at the perfect time with the postseason getting underway. On Friday, the Wildcats sailed to victory in the opener of the Lexington regional over Ball State by a 4-0 score. For most of the day, the two pitching staffs dominated. Travis Smith and Mason Moore from Kentucky and Trennor O’Donnell from Ball State, the latter of which lasted 7.1 innings while giving up just one run.

That one run came in the bottom of the fourth inning, when Wildcat catcher Devin Burkes helped keep his 11-game hit streak alive by blasting a solo home run over the right-centerfield wall to put the ‘Cats on top with a lead they’d never lose.

Here was that shot:

When you need a lift, call @Devin_Burkes!

B4 | UK 1, BSU 0

📺 @SECNetwork | @NCAABaseball pic.twitter.com/pDH6NmNIO7

— Kentucky Baseball (@UKBaseball) June 2, 2023

After the game, the SEC Network crew caught up with Burkes, who was as laid back as ever as he chatted with the broadcast while the Kentucky Headhunters hit song “Dumas Walker” serenaded UK’s ballpark.

“Ah man, I was just trying to come through for the team,” Burkes said of his homer. “Get on base, you know. Just get on base for the guys. The guys always come through for me.” Well, today, and for the last 11 days, he’s been coming through for them too.

Burkes was then asked about the performances from Moore and Smith, who made Burkes’ life pretty easy behind the plate all afternoon.

“Dogs, man,” was his short summary of the tandem. “Them boys are really, really, really talented, man. I tell them everyday, man, ‘y’all boys just keep working hard and y’all got the talent part, man. Just keep working hard and it will all come through.'”

Burkes also credited O’Donnell for an absolutely terrific game on the mound.

“He was a good pitcher, man. He executed his pitches really well. He kept composure really well on the mound, you know, when we put him in tough spots. Like, you know, we always kind of had a runner at first like every inning. And, you know, he just left them there. Cudos to him. He did a great job today.”

O’Donnell left in the bottom of the eighth with Kentucky up just 1-0 and even got a standing ovation from the opposing Wildcat crowd out of respect for such an outing. And though he was tiring, perhaps Ball State should have kept him in, because Kentucky busted the next pitcher up for three more runs that inning.

Overall, it’s a terrific day for UK Baseball, but Burkes says the job’s not done and he’ll be resting up to finish it up the next few days. “Ahah, rest up, man. Job’s not finished. We gotta keep it going.“