BOWLING GREEN, KY – WKU Baseball RHP Mason Burns has been named to D1Baseball's Top 50 Relief Pitchers list, the publication announced Thursday.
This is Burns' third preseason honor after being selected to Perfect Game USA's Top 75 College Seniors list and Conference USA's Preseason All-Conference Team. Burns, along with teammates Lane Diuguid and Dawson Hall, were the first Hilltopper pitchers selected to the Conference USA All-Conference Team.
"These are not professional prospect lists, though they do take pure talent into consideration," said the D1Baseball staff. "Players who proved themselves against top competition in summer ball and look poised for breakout years might rank higher on the list than other players who had gaudier stats from last spring. We considered past performance and offensive statistics, but we also try to keep the numbers in context, because some leagues or ballparks are more offensive than others, and some leagues simply have more talent than others — so all stat lines are not created equal. So, we take an amalgam of past numbers, raw talent, defensive ability (especially at premium positions), makeup and reports of development over the summer and fall."
The senior, right-hander from Bloomington, Ill. is coming off an impressive first season on The Hill in 2023 after transferring in from Illinois State. He made 23 appearances on the mound with four starts, posting a 6-2 record and four saves as the Tops go-to-guy out of the bullpen. He also produced a team-best 2.95 ERA with 66 strikeouts in 55.0 innings of work. Burns was almost untouchable through the last two months of the season when he went 26.1 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run.
"It is great to see Mason's work acknowledged and it shows the detail he has put in," said WKU pitching coach Dillon Napoleon. "It will be nice to have him anchor our pitching staff this season."
The Hilltoppers open the 2024 campaign with a three-game series starting on Friday, February 16 at home against Bradley beginning at 3 p.m. CT.
How to follow WKU Baseball: For complete information on WKU Hilltopper Baseball, visit WKUSports.com or follow the program via social media @WKU_Baseball on Twitter and @WKUBaseball Instagram.
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