LYNN — When Classical second baseman Christian Burt weighed his options for where to continue his baseball career, he looked for two key factors.
The first was a program led by a knowledgeable and experienced head coach. The other factor was a school that would allow him to stay close to home in pursuit of a college degree. In the end, the right choice for Burt was to commit to play baseball and continue his education at Salem State.
“It’s a relief knowing that I’ll be going to college,” Burt, a senior, said. “My dad went to Salem State and played baseball there. It’s a relief knowing that I don’t have to think about what’s next because I already know what’s next.”
At Salem State, Burt will play for Vikings head coach Al Donovan. A Lynn native and Nahant resident, Donovan’s currently in his second season at the helm of the Salem State program. Building chemistry with Donovan was an important piece to the puzzle for Burt.
“I know Coach Donovan has a great work ethic,” Burt, who plans to study business marketing, said. “He’ll really help you as a player. He’s great with the pitchers, hitter and infielders. All-around he’s a great coach.
“Coach Donovan was one of the only coaches that talked to me through the process,” Burt added. “I became close to him throughout the summer. I toured the school and the campus. It’s nice being close. My family will be able to come to the games.”
Burt took part in a recruiting trip where he got his first look at the Vikings. The first impression of the team was a positive one.
“I know they’re hard working guys,” Burt said. “Everyone bleeds Salem State. They’re great kids, they all have great attitudes and they all want to win. I met the team on a recruiting trip. That’s another reason I chose Salem State.”
With his future plans sealed and official, Burt can take a weight off his shoulders and focus on his senior season at Classical. A three-year varsity player, Burt’s hopeful the Rams can make a deep state tournament run this spring.
Classical rolled through its regular season schedule last year but fell to Northeastern Conference foe Marblehead in the quarterfinal round of the Division 2 North tournament.
“It stings a lot,” Burt said of the loss to the Magicians. “Knowing how you can do great in the regular season, once playoffs come it’s a whole different atmosphere. That has motivated us to work out throughout the offseason and it has helped us come together as a group.
“We learned that anything can happen,” Burt added. “We just need to have timely hits and take better approaches at the plate.”
Rams coach Mike Zukowski has high expectations for his senior second baseman. In addition to what Burt can bring on the diamond, Zukowski will look for him to continue his role as a team leader this season. Burt’s one of four Classical team captains.
“Christian’s experience is going to be huge this year,” Zukowski said. “We’ll rely on him for that. His baseball IQ is very high. He’s always a step ahead of what’s going on and that’s huge for me as a coach because it’s like he’s an extension of me. He’s a great leader on and off the field. We’ll rely on him to make routine plays and big plays.”
Zukowski, who played college baseball at Merrimack, knows the opportunity to play at the college level is a special one. More importantly, the chance for Burt to continue his education is one he has earned. His college commitment also speaks volumes for the Classical program and sets a positive example for the underclassmen on the team.
“Anytime any of the kids on the team commit to a college, whether it’s to play or not to play, that’s a big deal,” Zukowski said. “Taking the next step in their education, that’s important and I try to stress that to them. When they do get the chance to play at the next level, that’s the icing on the cake. It’s a big feat. Christian has definitely earned that.
“I’m happy for Christian,” Zukowski added. “I’m happy for any senior on the team that gets the chance to play at the next level. That’s huge.”
Classical’s currently one week into its preseason. Burt feels the team has looked good thus far in the early going.
“I feel things are looking good,” Burt said. “Everyone’s working hard. No one’s giving up, especially with the conditioning. Our pitching looks great, our hitting looks good and our defense should be stellar.”
