Tennessee pitcher Chase Burns named Freshman of the Year by D1Baseball

Tennessee Baseball’s historic season may have ended on a sour note, but many of the Volunteers’ accomplishments were worth honoring. Particularly, the play of freshman pitcher Chase Burns. The folks over at D1Baseball.com were so impressed by Burns’ arm this year that they named him the 2022 Freshman of the Year. Marking the third SEC player in a row to take home the honor.

Here was what Kendall Rogers wrote as to why Burns was bestowed with the award:

“It’s not easy to succeed at any position as a freshman in the Southeastern Conference. But as the Friday night starter in year one for Tennessee? Not only are the stakes constantly high, but being in that role can be the ultimate pressure cooker. 

You know who didn’t flinch in that role? Tennessee righthanded pitcher Chase Burns, who looked great in the fall, made his grand entrance in college baseball at the Shriners College Classic early in the season, and who put together an electrifying rest of the spring as the Volunteers were college baseball’s best team for much of the season.

For that and more, Burns is the 2022 D1Baseball.com Freshman of the Year.”

Burns was actually the opening day starter for Tennessee. The Vols faced Georgia Southern to open the year and Burns was the man on the mound to start the the first inning. And he was electric from moment one. Burns allowed just two hits and zero runs during five innings of work to kick off his eventual Freshman of the Year campaign.

D1Baseball was far from the only service to honor Burns’ excellent season. Here is a list of the other All-America teams he made and awards he won in just his first season in Knoxville:

Honors and Awards for Chase Burns

• NCBWA Freshman Pitcher of the Year
• Collegiate Baseball Co-Freshman National Player of the Year
• NCBWA All-American — 1st Team
• D1Baseball.com All-American — 3rd Team
• ABCA/Rawlings All-American — 3rd Team
• Collegiate Baseball All-American — 3rd Team
• NCBWA Freshman All-American — 1st Team
• Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American
• Perfect Game Freshman All-American
• ABCA/Rawlings Southeast All-Region — 1st Team
• Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist
• NCBWA Dick Howser Trophy Semifinalist 
• All-SEC — 2nd Team 
• SEC All-Freshman Team
• USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Invitee
• D1Baseball.com Midseason Top Pitcher & Top Freshman
• D1Baseball.com Freshman of the Year

Heck of a set of hardware for this young man after just one season. Easy to see why the San Diego Padres invested a 20th round pick in him even before he arrived on the Tennessee campus. Very bright future for this young arm.