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As you might expect, there is a difference of opinion on the check swing.
The scene: June 14, 2024, at the NCAA College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. Florida State's Brennen Oxford delivers a 2-2 pitch to Tennessee's Blake Burke with two outs in the ninth and the tying runs in scoring position. Though the Seminoles once led the game, 8-4, the Volunteers have clawed back to within striking distance. Burke begins to offer at the pitch before pulling back; the third-base umpire rules no swing, to the horror of Florida State fans.
"I felt like it was the right call," said Burke, now a first baseman with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. "You see those new graphics that are coming out on what is a check swing and what isn't. From that graphic, it looked like it was a check swing."
But was it? Former Brewers first-round draft pick Kyle Peterson, today an ESPN announcer who covered the game, had conflicting feelings.
"That's close enough to be a 50/50 ball there," Peterson said on the broadcast. "The first time I saw it, I thought he absolutely went. But you look at it in slow motion, and you can understand it either way. I'm fine with the no swing."
"I remember sitting next to (teammate) Jamie Arnold in the dugout," said then-FSU designated hitter Marco Dinges, now the catcher for the Timber Rattlers and hitting one spot behind Burke in the batting order. "We saw it pretty clear. He can say whatever he wants. We thought the pitch was also a strike. We won't bring that up, too. Pretty devastating game, but probably the most fun game I ever played in my life. An experience I'll never forget."
Burke fouled off the next pitch, then smoked a two-run, game-tying single to center field. Two batters later, he scored from second base on Dylan Dreiling's single, capping a four-run ninth and securing a 12-11 victory that set the stage for Tennessee to make a run all the way to the championship. South Milwaukee High School alumnus Nate Snead earned the win for Tennessee in relief, and future first-round pick Christian Moore hit for the cycle, with an extra double for good measure.
Florida State and Tennessee met again in the semifinals, and Burke homered in the 7-2 Volunteers win, sending the program to its first College World Series championship in 73 years. Tennessee then rallied from a 1-0 series deficit against Texas A&M in the best-of-three final, with a 6-5 win to clinch the program's first title.
Teammates a year later, Dinges and Burke can reminisce with smiles on their faces, but don't think it's been forgotten.
[IMG alt="Wisconsin Timber Rattlers’ Blake Burke (25) celebrates a double against the Lansing Lugnuts during their baseball game on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute, Wis. Lansing defeated the Timber Rattlers 3-1.
Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin"]https://media.zenfs.com/en/milwauke...es_362/300d7287425a47fe499153eee43154bf[/IMG]
"I think I bring it up every single day since I met him," said Dinges, who finished that game with three hits, two RBIs and two runs scored, nearly matching Burke's 3-for-5, three-RBI, three-run performance. "Even my former teammates that we play now are bringing it up. It's something that will live with me forever.
"Probably the most electric College World Series game ever played."
Now, there are new goals for Dinges and Burke, and the players have made a name for themselves in their first full year of affiliated baseball.
"Hitting behind him, it's fun to watch," Dinges said of Burke. "I know when he gets to two strikes, I already told him, I'm automatically going to get up (to the plate). He doesn't strike out a lot. He drives for power. He's your guy you want, especially as a first-round pick. It's fun to play with him, and hopefully we grow together."
Burke, taken by the Brewers with the 34th overall pick as a competitive balance selection in the 2024 draft, has a .325 average with the Timber Rattlers through June 8, with an .869 OPS. He's playing strong defense at first base, too — a bonus for a player who belted 50 career homers in three years at Tennessee. He turns 22 on June 11.
"If you treat every pitch like it's Game 7 of the World Series, you're going to play to the best of your ability," Burke said on the keys to his success. "Just going out there, playing hard and having fun."
Dinges, meanwhile, has been on an ascendant course, quickly refining his skills behind the plate despite not playing there during his year at Florida State. The 21-year-old was taken by the Brewers in the fourth round (pick No. 123) in the same draft as Burke and handled things so smoothly at Class A Carolina (1.076 OPS in 112 plate appearances) that the Brewers promoted him to Wisconsin, even as the rest of the star-studded Mudcats remained in place.
"He swings as hard as he can, and the ball normally goes pretty far if he connects with it," Burke said of Dinges, who has two homers in his first 16 games at Wisconsin, along with a .322 average and .796 OPS. "He's pretty fun to watch. He has a cannon behind the plate, so we like to back-pick people. He's an exciting player."
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers prospects were on opposite sides of CWS epic last year
Continue reading...
The scene: June 14, 2024, at the NCAA College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. Florida State's Brennen Oxford delivers a 2-2 pitch to Tennessee's Blake Burke with two outs in the ninth and the tying runs in scoring position. Though the Seminoles once led the game, 8-4, the Volunteers have clawed back to within striking distance. Burke begins to offer at the pitch before pulling back; the third-base umpire rules no swing, to the horror of Florida State fans.
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"I felt like it was the right call," said Burke, now a first baseman with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, the Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. "You see those new graphics that are coming out on what is a check swing and what isn't. From that graphic, it looked like it was a check swing."
But was it? Former Brewers first-round draft pick Kyle Peterson, today an ESPN announcer who covered the game, had conflicting feelings.
"That's close enough to be a 50/50 ball there," Peterson said on the broadcast. "The first time I saw it, I thought he absolutely went. But you look at it in slow motion, and you can understand it either way. I'm fine with the no swing."
"I remember sitting next to (teammate) Jamie Arnold in the dugout," said then-FSU designated hitter Marco Dinges, now the catcher for the Timber Rattlers and hitting one spot behind Burke in the batting order. "We saw it pretty clear. He can say whatever he wants. We thought the pitch was also a strike. We won't bring that up, too. Pretty devastating game, but probably the most fun game I ever played in my life. An experience I'll never forget."
Burke fouled off the next pitch, then smoked a two-run, game-tying single to center field. Two batters later, he scored from second base on Dylan Dreiling's single, capping a four-run ninth and securing a 12-11 victory that set the stage for Tennessee to make a run all the way to the championship. South Milwaukee High School alumnus Nate Snead earned the win for Tennessee in relief, and future first-round pick Christian Moore hit for the cycle, with an extra double for good measure.
Florida State and Tennessee met again in the semifinals, and Burke homered in the 7-2 Volunteers win, sending the program to its first College World Series championship in 73 years. Tennessee then rallied from a 1-0 series deficit against Texas A&M in the best-of-three final, with a 6-5 win to clinch the program's first title.
Teammates a year later, Dinges and Burke can reminisce with smiles on their faces, but don't think it's been forgotten.
[IMG alt="Wisconsin Timber Rattlers’ Blake Burke (25) celebrates a double against the Lansing Lugnuts during their baseball game on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute, Wis. Lansing defeated the Timber Rattlers 3-1.
Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin"]https://media.zenfs.com/en/milwauke...es_362/300d7287425a47fe499153eee43154bf[/IMG]
"I think I bring it up every single day since I met him," said Dinges, who finished that game with three hits, two RBIs and two runs scored, nearly matching Burke's 3-for-5, three-RBI, three-run performance. "Even my former teammates that we play now are bringing it up. It's something that will live with me forever.
"Probably the most electric College World Series game ever played."
Now, there are new goals for Dinges and Burke, and the players have made a name for themselves in their first full year of affiliated baseball.
"Hitting behind him, it's fun to watch," Dinges said of Burke. "I know when he gets to two strikes, I already told him, I'm automatically going to get up (to the plate). He doesn't strike out a lot. He drives for power. He's your guy you want, especially as a first-round pick. It's fun to play with him, and hopefully we grow together."
You must be registered for see images
Burke, taken by the Brewers with the 34th overall pick as a competitive balance selection in the 2024 draft, has a .325 average with the Timber Rattlers through June 8, with an .869 OPS. He's playing strong defense at first base, too — a bonus for a player who belted 50 career homers in three years at Tennessee. He turns 22 on June 11.
"If you treat every pitch like it's Game 7 of the World Series, you're going to play to the best of your ability," Burke said on the keys to his success. "Just going out there, playing hard and having fun."
Dinges, meanwhile, has been on an ascendant course, quickly refining his skills behind the plate despite not playing there during his year at Florida State. The 21-year-old was taken by the Brewers in the fourth round (pick No. 123) in the same draft as Burke and handled things so smoothly at Class A Carolina (1.076 OPS in 112 plate appearances) that the Brewers promoted him to Wisconsin, even as the rest of the star-studded Mudcats remained in place.
"He swings as hard as he can, and the ball normally goes pretty far if he connects with it," Burke said of Dinges, who has two homers in his first 16 games at Wisconsin, along with a .322 average and .796 OPS. "He's pretty fun to watch. He has a cannon behind the plate, so we like to back-pick people. He's an exciting player."
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers prospects were on opposite sides of CWS epic last year
Continue reading...
