Blake Burke is now just one step away from the major leagues and will be playing home games back in the state of Tennessee.
The former Vols baseball star was promoted to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds by the Milwaukee Brewers, MiLB Central reported on Aug. 9. Burke, a first baseman, played 133 games with the Double-A Biloxi Shuckers over the last two seasons.
The Sounds' next series is a six-game home set against the Indianapolis Indians from Aug. 11-16.
Burke hit .285 with 30 homers and 88 RBIs for Biloxi this season, leading the Southern League in all three categories. He also stole 28 bases. In July, he hit 12 home runs and drove in 32 runs to be named Southern League Player of the Month. He is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Brewers' No. 15 prospect.
Burke, the No. 34 overall pick in 2024, played in Knoxville in July alongside Shuckers teammates Andrew Fischer, who played the 2025 season at Tennessee and was also a first-round pick by the Brewers. They received ovations from the fans in attendance wearing Vols gear as they were introduced.
After playing in Double-A with Fischer, Burke will join right-handed pitcher Garrett Stallings in Nashville. Stallings pitched for Tennessee from 2017-19 and made his major league debut this season for Milwaukee.
Burke was one of the best hitters in Tennessee history and a centerpiece of the 2024 national championship team. He hit 50 homers over three seasons, second in program history behind only Christian Moore (61). In 2024, he was a first-team All-American after hitting .379 with 20 homers and 61 RBIs. He also tied the program record with 30 doubles that year.
Emmett Siegel covers Tennessee baseball for Knox News. Email: emmett.siegel@knoxnews.com; X: @EmmettSiegel_
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Former Tennessee baseball star Blake Burke promoted to Triple-A Nashville Sounds
