Burkhalter emerged as one of the top relief pitchers in college baseball this season as a junior, leading the Southeastern Conference in saves with 16 and helping the Tigers to the College World Series.
He was named a second team All-America by ABCA, College Baseball Foundation and NCBWA and was a second team SEC All-Conference selection. He struck out 71 batters and walked just seven in 46.1 innings of work this past season and became dominant with a cutter pitch he learned the summer before his junior campaign.
Burkhalter earned the save in Game 1 of the Corvallis Super Regional in June and matched a season-best with 2.2 perfect innings and five strikeouts to help the Tigers defeat host-team Oregon State in the regional finale and send Auburn to the CWS in Omaha. People are also reading… In Omaha, he matched a season high with five strikeouts and earned the save in 2.1 scoreless innings during the Tigers lone win in the CWS against Stanford.Check back later for an updated story.