Devin Burkes “ate up with baseball” and it Pays Off for UK

A jubilant Devin Burkes talks to UK fans after the regional title win. (Vicky Graff Photo)

Statistics really do not measure what catcher Devin Burkes means to Kentucky.

He’s hitting .257 going into this week’s NCAA Super Regional but has scored 48 runs, knocked in 35 runs, drawn 28 walks, been hit by a pitch 17 times and even stolen 18 bases in 20 tries. He has only two errors and a .995 fielding percentage along with 24 assists.

“We wouldn’t be where we’re at without Devin Burkes. I can look you in the eye as a man and tell you we wouldn’t be where we are without Devin Burkes. He’s an extension of the coaching staff. He’s tough, he’s competitive,” said Kentucky coach Nick Mingione after UK beat Indiana State 5-0 to win its second straight NCAA regional.

Mingione said 10 times against Indiana State a pitch was in the dirt with runners on base. Every time Burkes kept the ball in front of him.

“He either blocked it or picked it — 10,” Mingione said. “What about the play that got behind him and he flips it and (pitcher) Mason (Moore) is there, and the guy had to stop.”

Indiana State had gone 138 straight games without being shut out before three UK pitchers blanked Indiana State Sunday. The trust the UK hurlers have in Burkes helped that happen.

“In the game of baseball trust is so good and it’s so important. And you’ve heard me. You know I like quotes. Someone once said it’s more of a compliment to be trusted than loved.  And you heard that guy at the end of that table, (pitcher) Mason Moore said, ‘I trusted my defense,’” Mingione said.

“So when we have two strikes and we know that the way we’re going to strike this guy out is to throw the ball in the dirt. Guess who he has to trust? Devin. Guess who they trust? His energy tonight, I believe in my heart he willed our pitching staff to do things that, quite frankly, maybe they didn’t know if they had it in them. And they don’t want to let that guy down.”

Mingione said he made three major adjustments in 2022 that have helped UK reach super regionals the last two years.

“We started catching Devin more. We put Nick Ammirati in the dugout to spend more time with the positional players, and I started coaching third. And from that day forward, it’s been pretty good,” Mingione said Sunday. “And Devin, amazing guy, amazing leader. He lights up the coaching staff, the offices every day. He comes by every day. He does not miss.

“As a matter of fact, this is amazing. This guy is contagious. Yesterday I’m talking to a recruit. And he says to me, he’s a pitcher, and he said, ‘Coach, your catcher is amazing. All the things that he does back there, he goes, that guy’s obviously getting drafted. What’s the plan next year? Because if I come, I want to make sure we have another catcher like that.’ He goes I’ve always wanted to throw to a guy like that.

“So then I went on to explain to them about how he’s an extension of us. We want him to come by the office every day. He meets with coach Roszel. They talk about everything that’s happening in bullpens, what cues they have, where do we need to give targets, all of that.

“That’s what he does. He literally is ate up with baseball. And, whoo, the guy’s amazing. We don’t win tonight and we’re not in this position without that guy.”