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Honors & Awards
Diamond Notes
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Became the third Husker in the last three years to spend the summer in the Cape Cod League pitching for the Harwich Mariners
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Earned his first career save against No. 17 Oklahoma on April 6, 2002
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With his start against Creighton on April 24, 2001, Burch became the first NU pitcher to start a game as the nation?s top-ranked team
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Will not turn 21 until after the 2003 season
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Majors in psychology, where he carries better than a 3.0 GPA
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Had a bit part in the movie Election, which was filmed at Papillon-LaVista High School
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Was a two-time first-team All-Nebraska selection at Papillion-LaVista High School, setting a state record with 10 wins as a senior
2003 Outlook
According to the Husker coaching staff, one of the keys to a successful 2003 season is the continued development of right-hander Jason Burch. The 6-foot-5, 215-pounder has shown glimpses of his potential over the past two years, but Pitching Coach Rob Childress knows that Burch needs to become more consistent in order to be a major contributor this spring.
"We have worked with Jason?s mechanics and had him concentrate on throwing three pitches effectively," Childress said. "He battled some injuries during the fall, but if Jason is healthy, he has the stuff to be a major contributor, either as a starter or coming out of the bullpen."
Burch spent the summer pitching for the Harwich Mariners in the Cape Cod League. After seeing limited duty in his eight relief outings, he flourished in the starting rotation, not allowing an earned run in either start, a span of 11.1 innings. In his final two appearances of the summer, he struck out 10 and issued one walk, finishing the summer with an 0-1 record and a 3.86 ERA in the Cape.
"I think it was a good experience for Jason," Childress said. "It gave him an opportunity to face some of the top prospects in the country, and to show that he belonged up there."
2002 - Sophomore
Burch was a valuable member of the Husker relief corps in 2002. He went 3-2 with a save and a 5.19 ERA in 17 appearances, pitching a total of 34.2 innings. He bettered all of his numbers from the previous season, while making starts at Rice on Feb. 16 and at Baylor on March 10. He proved to be an effective reliever, both in long and short. Six of his 15 relief outings were more than three innings, including a season-high six innings at Fresno State on March 2, where he scattered five hits and induced three double plays. After a couple of rocky outings, the sophomore rebounded, allowing one run over his next six appearances spanning nearly a month. He began the stretch by striking out the side against Minnesota before earning wins against Western Illinois and Kansas State. Against the Leathernecks, Burch allowed one hit in three scoreless innings before he turned in one of the finest efforts of his career versus KSU, allowing one run on five hits in five innings of relief. He picked up his first career save against Oklahoma, getting out of a two-on, two-out situation by retiring the only batter he faced. He closed the season with a flourish, not allowing a run in three of his final four outings.
2001 - Freshman
Burch gained valuable experience in his first season at NU, making seven appearances, including four starts in 2001. One of three true freshmen to make the travel roster, he finished with a 1-0 record and a 7.65 ERA in 20 innings of work. Burch, who enjoyed a nearly 4-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, allowed two homers in his collegiate debut against seventh-ranked Rice, but did not allow another one the rest of the season.
Primarily used as NU?s mid-week starter, he earned his first collegiate victory against UW-Milwaukee on March 28, going 5.2 innings and striking out a career-high six in a 16-10 win over a Panther team that qualified for the NCAA Tournament. He went a season-long six innings in a no-decision at Southern Utah, leaving with a 7-5 lead before NU had to rally for four runs in the top of the ninth. In his lone conference appearance, Burch struck out the side in a loss at Kansas on April 22 and made his final appearance of the season in a start against Creighton two days later, allowing three runs on five hits in an 11-8 10-inning loss to the Bluejays.
Before Nebraska
Burch was one of the state?s top hurlers during his prep career at Papillion-LaVista High School for coach James Thomas. As a senior, Burch earned first-team All-Nebraska honors from both the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal Star, going 10-2 with a 2.70 ERA. During the summer in American Legion ball, Burch was nearly untouchable, going 9-0 with 90 strikeouts and a 0.93 ERA. A two-time first-team All-Nebraska selection, he helped the Monarchs to a state runner-up finish as a junior, going 6-4 with a 3.74 ERA. As a sophomore, Burch earned the win in the Class A state title game, helping PLHS to a 21-8 record, as he earned honorable-mention all-state honors with a 5-2 mark and a 1.59 ERA. Burch also lettered four times in basketball at Papillion-LaVista. In the classroom, he was a member of the National Honor Society and a four-time academic letterwinner. He selected NU over Stanford, Wichita State and Auburn.
Year ERA W-L APP GS CG SHO/CBO SV IP H R ER BB SO
2001.... 7.65 1-0 7 4 0 0/0 0 20.0 33 22 17 5 19
2002.... 5.19 3-2 17 2 0 0/0 1 34.2 40 28 20 14 21
TOTALS.. 6.09 4-2 24 6 0 0/0 1 54.2 73 50 37 19 40
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Courtesy: UNL Photographic Services
