Chase Burns Garners ACC Pitcher of the Year Honors

CHARLOTTE – For the third year in a row, a Wake Forest starting pitcher took home Atlantic Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year honors, as junior right-hander Chase Burns was crowned by the league on Monday afternoon.

Burns joins Demon Deacon legend Rhett Lowder (2022 & 2023 Honoree) as the programs only ACC Pitcher of the Year recipients.

Burns finished the regular season as the nation's leader in strikeouts (169) and had 45 more punchouts than any other pitcher in the ACC.

His 169 strikeouts ranks fifth all-time in ACC single-season history.

Ranking	Player	School	Year	Strikeouts
1.	Brian Barnes	Clemson	1989	208
2.	Chris Benson	Clemson	1996	204
3.	Brad Rigby	Georgia Tech	1994	184
4.	Carlos Rodon	NC State	2013	184
5.	Chase Burns	Wake Forest	2024	169

The Hendersonville, Tenn. native also leads the league in H/9 (5.16), K/BB (7.04), K/9 (17.09) and WHIP (0.84), while ranking in the top 10 nationally in each of the categories.

With his run from March 11 to March 25 and again from May 6 to May 20, Burns is believed to be the first ACC pitcher to take home three-straight Pitcher of the Week honors since at least 2000.

Additionally, Burns joined elite this morning, becoming just one of two Atlantic Coast Conference pitchers to win the award six times in a season. Burns is the only six-time winner in Wake Forest baseball program history.

Burns has been untouchable in the month of May, compiling 42 strikeouts to just three walks for a 14.00 K/BB ratio and a ridiculous 18.90 K/9 ratio to go along with a 0.45 ERA in three starts.

Burns Season Breakdown

Feb. 17 vs. Illinois
- The righthander kept the Illini bats at bay all afternoon, finishing the game with 10 punchouts while allowing just three hits and one walk in 6.0 innings of work for his first win as a Demon Deacon.
Feb 24 vs. Dayton
- Burns registered eight strikeouts and allowed just three runs on five hits across five-plus innings to lead the Demon Deacons to their first series-clinching win of the 2024 season. Dating back to the 2023 season, Burns extended his career-long scoreless inning streak to 17.0 IP, before allowing a run in the top half of the second.
Mar. 2 vs. Binghamton
- Burns struck out 10 or more for the seventh time in his career with a then season-high 11 punchouts, tossing 6.0 innings of four-hit ball with two runs allowed.
Mar. 9 vs. Duke
- Burns fanned 14 of the 22 batters he faced Saturday night which tied for the second-highest single-game strikeout total in program history at the time. In addition to his career-high 14 strikeouts, Burns allowed just one run on two hits over 6.0 innings.
  - Won first ACC Pitcher of the Week honor.
Mar. 16 at Virginia
- Burns fanned 13 of the 26 batters he faced Saturday which is tied for the fifth-highest single-game strikeout total in program history.
- Burns became the first player in program history to have 13 or more strikeouts in back-to-back games as he had a career-high 14 strikeouts in a victory over No. 12 Duke last Saturday. Additionally, Burns is the first player since Stephen Strasburg in 2009 to strike out 13 or more Virginia batters in a single game. The San Diego State product went on to become the No. 1 overall draft pick by the Washington Nationals that season.
- In addition to his 13 strikeouts, Burns allowed just one run on two hits over 7.0 innings. In his first five appearances, Burns held a perfect mark of 4-0 with 56 strikeouts in 30.1 innings of work and a 2.08 ERA.
  - Won second-straight ACC Pitcher of the Week honor.
Mar. 22 vs. Louisville
- Burns fanned 12 of the 23 batters he faced becoming the first player in program history to have 12 or more strikeouts in back-to-back-to-back games as he had a career-high 14 strikeouts in a victory over No. 12 Duke and 13 strikeouts in a win over No. 17 Virginia.
- In addition to his 12 strikeouts, Burns allowed just one run on three hits over a career-high matching 7.0 innings.
  - Burns is believed to be the first ACC pitcher to take home three-straight Pitcher of the Week honors since at least 2000 with his performance against the Cardinal.
Mar. 29 vs. North Carolina
- Burns continued his double-digit strikeout streak, extending it to five consecutive outings, fanning a career-high matching 14 of the 28 batters he faced Friday which tied for the second-highest single-game strikeout total in Wake Forest history at the time.
- With the 14 strikeouts, Burns had a nation-leading 82 punchouts in 43.2 innings of work while holding a 2.89 ERA.
Apr. 5 at Virginia Tech
- Behind the most strikeouts by a Wake Forest pitcher in nearly 40 years, the No. 21 Wake Forest baseball team picked up a huge 8-5 ACC series-opening win over No. 11 Virginia Tech.
- Burns continued his double-digit strikeout streak, extending it to six consecutive outings while picking up his 300th career strikeout in the top of the first.
- Burns fanned a then career-best 15 batters he faced Friday which ranked as the second-highest single-game strikeout total in Wake Forest history at the time.
Apr. 12 at Boston College
- Burns became the first pitcher in the country to go over the century mark with an NCAA-leading 105 strikeouts on the year. Burns improved to 7-1 on the year and the Deacs moved to 8-1 on the season when he took the mound.
- The righty allowed just two hits and no earned runs over 6.1 IP with eight punchouts against the Eagles.
Apr. 19 vs. Florida State
- Burns went five innings with eight strikeouts and allowed just three runs as Wake Forest secured a 5-4 comeback victory over No. 8 Florida State.
Apr. 26 at Notre Dame
- Burns allowed just three runs on four hits, matching a career-high with 7.0 IP and only gave up two free passes, while sitting down 14 Irish hitters in the Deacs 4-3 victory.
May 4 vs. Western Carolina
- Wake Forest reached the 30-win mark for the third-straight season behind six hitless innings from Burns.
- Burns fanned 13 of the 20 batters he faced, marking the ninth time in 12 starts this season he struck out at least 10 batters and sixth time he finished with at least 13. He improved to 9-1, allowing no runs on no hits, over 6.0 innings and only gave up two free passes.
- The outing also marked his eighth quality start of his junior campaign.
May 10 vs. Clemson
- Burns became the single-season program record holder with 156 strikeouts after a career-high 16 against the Tigers.
- Burns' career-high 16 strikeouts marked the 10th time in 13 starts this season he struck out at least 10 batters and second time he finished with at least 15 punch outs.
- His 16 strikeouts in a single outing rank second in program history behind only Erik Hanson (18) on April 17, 1985. Additionally, Burns now holds seven of the top 10 single-game strikeout performances in Wake Forest history.
- He improved to 10-1 as the Deacs had won all but one of his 13 starts to that point.
- He allowed just one run on two hits over 7.0 innings and only gave up one free pass.
- The outing also marked his ninth quality start of his junior season.
May 17 at NC State
- Burns fanned 13 batters Friday night, marking the 11th time in 14 starts this season he struck out at least 10 batters and ninth time he finished with at least 13 punch outs.
- He allowed just one unearned run on five hits over 7.0 innings and did not allow a walk.
- The outing also marked his 10th quality start of his junior season.

Burns Career Accolades
2024 ACC Pitcher of the Year
ACC Pitcher of the Week (5/13)
D1 Baseball National Pitcher of the Week (5/13)
NCBWA Dick Howser Trophy National Player of the Week (5/13)
ACC Pitcher of the Week (5/6)
Golden Spikes Midseason Watch List
ACC Pitcher of the Week (3/25)
ACC Pitcher of the Week (3/18)
ACC Pitcher of the Week (3/11)
D1 Baseball National Pitcher of the Week (3/11)
NCBWA Dick Howser Trophy National Player of the Week (3/11)
Golden Spikes Preseason Watch List
2024 NCBWA Preseason Second Team All-American
2024 D1 Baseball Preseason Second Team All-American
2024 Perfect Game Preseason Pitcher of the Year
2024 Perfect Game Preseason ACC Pitcher of the Year
2024 Perfect Game Preseason First Team All-American
2024 Perfect Game Preseason All-ACC Team
2024 Baseball America Preseason First Team All-American
2023 CSC Academic All-District
SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week -- 4/24/23
2023 Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List
College Baseball News National Player of the Week -- 2/27/23
2023 Preseason All-America 1st Team -- D1Baseball, Baseball America, NCBWA, Collegiate Baseball, Perfect Game
2023 Preseason All-SEC - 1st Team (SP)
2022 D1Baseball.com National Freshman of the Year
2022 NCBWA Freshman Pitcher of the Year
2022 Collegiate Baseball Co-Freshman National Player of the Year
2022 NCBWA All-American -- 1st Team
2022 D1Baseball.com All-American -- 3rd Team
2022 ABCA/Rawlings All-American -- 3rd Team
2022 Collegiate Baseball All-American -- 3rd Team
2022 D1Baseball.com Freshman All-American -- 1st Team
2022 NCBWA Freshman All-American -- 1st Team
2022 Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American
2022 Perfect Game Freshman All-American
2022 ABCA/Rawlings Southeast All-Region -- 1st Team
2022 Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist
2022 NCBWA Dick Howser Trophy Semifinalist
2022 All-SEC -- 2nd Team
2022 SEC All-Freshman Team
2022 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Invitee
2021-22 First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll
2022 D1Baseball.com Midseason All-America Team
2022 D1Baseball.com Midseason Top Pitcher & Top Freshman
SEC Freshman of the Week -- March 28, 2022
2022 Shriners Children's College Classic All-Tournament Team
Selected in 20th Round of the 2021 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres

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