Happy Birthday, Blake Burke.
On the day that the California native turns 20 years old, Burke returned to the home run category with a moonshot home run against Southern Miss on Sunday afternoon in Game Two of the Hattiesburg Super Regional.
With Tennessee trailing 4-1 in the top of the fourth inning, Burke stepped up to the plate and smoked the ball to right field. It was a no-doubt home run as the Golden Eagles’ right fielder barely even turned around to track the ball. Burke flipped his bat before trotting around the bases with the two-run home run.
ESPN’s broadcast recorded the ball going a jaw-dropping 479 feet off the bat. Sunday’s home run from Burke was also his first since April 28, and it was a massive one.
Up and over the trees!!!#GBO // #OTH // #BeatUSM pic.twitter.com/l94hVXGDVI
— Tennessee Baseball (@Vol_Baseball) June 11, 2023
The ball couldn’t even be seen landing on the ground behind the spectators and the tree line out in right field of Pete Taylor Park. Instead, though, the ball could be seen bouncing up off the concrete and then looked to even hit the church that’s located behind the ballpark off the bounce.
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The home run on Sunday was Burke’s 16th of the season.
After Blake Burke helped the Tennessee Volunteers on the scoreboard, his teammates continued the work in the fourth inning. Burke’s two-run home run helped lead to what finished as a six-run inning as the Vols took the 6-4 lead over the Golden Eagles.
At the time of this publication, Tennessee (0-1) currently leads Southern Miss (1-0) by a score of 6-4 at the end of the fourth inning in Game Two of the Hattiesburg Super Regional.
At 479 feet, Blake Burke’s homer would be tied for the 4th-longest HR in the MLB this season. 🤯#VOLS | #GBO 🍊
— Jon Evans (@maybejonevans) June 11, 2023
