On the shores of Lake Superior sits 67-year-old Wade Stadium, the brick-and-concrete home of the Duluth Huskies of the Northwoods League.
This summer, the venerable ballpark will be a testing ground for Andy Burns, a 17-year-old phenom from Fort Collins who has dreamed of being a big-leaguer since he was a 2-year-old swinging a bat in his backyard.
It has been a life-changing few weeks for Burns. He graduated from Rocky Mountain High School, led the Lobos to their second straight Class 5A baseball state crown and decided he will attend the University of Kentucky rather than leap into a pro career — unless he’s selected in the first round of Thursday’s amateur draft.
“After three years of college ball, I’ll be ready to take that next step,” Burns said. “I want to play in the majors, but in the worst-case (scenario), I will still have my education and the college experience. Plus, if I can’t get redrafted after three years playing in college, I wouldn’t have made it in pro ball anyway.”
Kentucky recruiting coordinator Brad Bohannon said the Wildcats were nervous about losing one of their prized prospects. Now he’s thrilled that Burns likely will be part of Kentucky’s growing baseball tradition. The Wildcats won 44 games this year.
“Andy is the total package on the baseball diamond,” Bohannon said. “But more than that, he’s mature beyond his years.”
Burns said the only way he would turn pro and forgo his scholarship to Kentucky is if he’s selected in the first round Thursday. Or if he sets the Northwoods League on fire and a big-league team throws a huge signing bonus his way this summer. He doesn’t expect the first scenario to happen, though a number of scouts believe Burns will be chosen in the first five rounds. The second scenario? Probably not.
“I think it’s all for the best,” Burns said. “Coming right out of high school, I don’t think I was ready to go and play minor-league baseball. This is a good next step.”
Burns, the 2007-08 Colorado Gatorade player of the year, clearly is in a good place. The Northwoods League is a premier summer league that includes players from major university programs. Players use wood bats instead of the aluminum bats used in high school and college, travel by bus and for three months live the life of a minor-leaguer — without getting a paycheck.
“It’s been just amazing,” Burns said via cellphone Monday afternoon as he sat in the stands at Wade Stadium. “It’s all about baseball. I mean, you get to the park at 2 o’clock for a 7 o’clock game. It’s a lot different than high school.”
Monday night, just 16 days after he hit a double and ripped a three-run homer to lead Rocky Mountain to its repeat title, Burns started at third base for Duluth. He rapped out three hits and stole a base as the Huskies beat the Green Bay Bullfrogs 7-0.
“We’ve had kids straight out of high school play here before,” Huskies coach Adam Stahl said. “But clearly, Andy is an upper-echelon type of player. Most of the kids who have come through here are very mature beyond their years. I would say the same thing about Andy. It’s like nothing is going to faze him. And that’s what you need to have in this league.”
Anyone who has scouted Burns or simply seen him play a game or two has been swept away by his powerful right arm, his speed on the bases and his power at the plate. Even so, Bohannon admits he had some trepidation about seeing Burns go to Duluth.
“It will be absolutely a good thing for Andy, but I was a little hesitant when we first talked about it,” Bohannon said. “I mean, a 17-year-old kid that far from home, playing with guys who are going to be juniors and seniors in college, that’s a huge jump. It takes a tremendous amount of maturity. Plus, he’ll have to deal with failure for the first time. I don’t think he’s ever hit under .400. But I do think he can handle it.”
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Burns primarily played shortstop in high school, but he could end up playing third base or even second at Kentucky.
“He’s so talented, he could play any of the three infield positions,” Bohannon said. “But I think he eventually will play shortstop. I’m pretty confident he’s a legitimate SEC- level shortstop.”
Scouts got their first whiff of Burns’ talent during his sophomore year, but it was his performance at last season’s state tournament that made him a hot prospect. Burns hit .600, homered four times and drove in 12 runs in five games at state in helping lead Rocky Mountain to its first state baseball title. He finished the season with a .542 average, 13 home runs and 43 RBIs. This season, even with most teams pitching around him, he hit .481 with 10 home runs and 34 RBIs.
But it’s more than raw numbers that sold Kentucky on Burns.
“I’m probably closer to Andy than any kid I’ve ever recruited,” Bohannon said. “Before you even talk about his baseball skills, you have to talk about him as a person. He’s pretty amazing. He’s the only kid I’ve ever recruited that gave me a birthday card. I guess that tells you something.”
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
Thursday’s MLB draft
Prep prospects
One area major-league scout said this year’s crop of Colorado high school players is “thinner than usual; the talent’s down, especially at the positions, but there are a lot of college prospects.” A look at the top-five prospects:
Andy Burns, Rocky Mountain
Bio: Colorado player of the year . . . 6-feet-1, 185 pounds, batted .481 with 10 homers, 45 runs scored, 34 RBIs . . . signed to play at Kentucky.
Scout’s take: “He could be a top third- or fourth-rounder.”
Bobby Hansen, Lewis-Palmer
Bio: Left-handed pitcher and first baseman . . . 6-5, 225, was 8-3 on the mound, batted .517 . . . signed with Washington State.
Scout’s take: “He’ll probably end up being a nice college pitcher; he threw well earlier in the season.”
Dexter Price, Air Academy
Bio: First baseman-pitcher has intriguing frame at 6-8, 200 . . . helped team to 5A title game, was 10-0 on the mound and hit 10 homers with 42 RBIs . . . signed with Auburn.
Scout’s take: “He’s tall and thin and doesn’t throw that hard, but he’s a competitor.”
Tyler Sample, Mullen
Bio: Big and strong at 6-7, 240, fastball reached the low 90s . . . 4-3 as a senior with 85 strikeouts in 41 innings . . . signed with Arkansas.
Scout’s take: “He had (arm) surgery when he was younger, but he throws pretty well. He’ll get drafted (high) if someone wants to take a chance.”
Matt Skipper, Ralston Valley
Bio: Four-year regular at every position . . . 6-9, 245, hit 11 homers with 55 RBIs, was 6-0 on the mound . . . signed with San Diego State.
Scout’s take: “He’ll get a long look because of his size, but he’s never really thrown hard and could be a position player.”
Neil H. Devlin, Denver Post
Draft facts
When: Noon, Thursday; 9:30 a.m., Friday
TV: First round, ESPN2; Next 49 rounds, MLB.com
Rockies’ top pick: 25th overall selection
