PR grad knows way out of jam

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Drama is something Andrew Burkett has become quite comfortable with these days.

This summer, the Prairie Ridge graduate has seen his share of intense situations as one of the top relief pitchers for the St. Cloud (Minn.) River Bats.

“I come in with guys on base in a jam situation, and I also am the setup guy for our closer,” Burkett said.

Despite his high-pressure job description, Burkett has shined with the River Bats, a member of the Northwoods League, a 14-team league filled with college baseball standouts from around the country.

Burkett has posted a 2.54 ERA in 19 appearances, the second-highest total on the team. Burkett (1-2) has struck out 31 hitters in 281⁄3 innings and allowed opposing batters a .198 average.

“It’s been everything I expected and more,” said Burkett, a right-hander. “It’s been a great summer. The competition is great. There are guys from all over the country here. ... One through nine, the guys (in opposing lineups) are just as good as schools you play during the season.”

Burkett, who will be a senior at the University of Cincinnati this fall, transitioned quickly to the Northwoods League.

“My role is very similar (to last season at Cincinnati),” Burkett said. “It’s nice to know they have confidence to call on you in those situations. I thrive on it.”

Along with improving his approach against left-handed hitters, Burkett said his summer success can be attributed, in large part, to one particular pitch.

“I’m throwing my slider for strikes early in the count,” he said.

Competing with top college players has further stoked Burkett’s desire to play professionally.

“If you’re playing college baseball, you have goals and aspirations to play on the next level,” Burkett said.

His summer lifestyle, in fact, has mirrored that of the minor leagues.

Burkett said one of the reasons he chose to play in the Northwoods League was its similarity to a minor-league schedule.

“You have the long bus rides and you get off the bus and play,” he said. “It’s a grind.”

Burkett said the team’s travels have included a 14-hour ride to Michigan and a nine-hour trip to Canada.

The many hours on the road include “a lot of movies and a lot of stories,” Burkett said.

The team bus has plenty of creature comforts, though, including four sleeper beds and wireless Internet capabilities.

“They take really good care of us,” Burkett said.

Court, Senators win title: Dundee-Crown grad Ryan Court helped the Vienna (Va.) Senators claim the championship of the Clark Griffith League last week.

The CGL, a summer league for college baseball players, includes five teams in suburban Washington, D.C.

Vienna went 30-9 to win the league title as Court, who will be a junior at Illinois State this fall, had a team-high eight doubles. Despite hitting .238, Court ranked third on the team with 19 RBIs while predominantly playing third base. He also saw time at shortstop and in the outfield.

Last week, ISU announced Court had won the Fairchild Endowed Scholarship for his academic success. The award, named for former ISU president Raymond W. Fairchild, is presented to a junior baseball player each year.

While earning honorable mention All-Missouri Valley Conference on the field during the spring, Court was named to the MVC’s Scholar-Athlete first team after posting at least a 3.5 grade-point average for five consecutive semesters. He also was chosen to the College Sports Information Directors of America/ESPN The Magazine District V All-Academic first team.

• Barry Bottino writes a weekly column and a blog about local college athletes for the Northwest Herald. Write to him at BarryOnCampus@hotmail.com and check out his On Campus blog at www.McHenryCounty
Sports.com/blogs/oncampus.