Springfield High twins carry the baseball mantle after unforgettable 2021 run

CHATHAM — Twins Griffin and Cooper Burk have been around the Springfield High baseball team for as long as they can remember.

Their dad, Brady, has chipped in as an assistant coach under Jim Steinwart since the mid-1990s after starring as a player himself under the longtime head coach.

Steinwart, in his 36^th season at the helm, picked up his 700^th career win earlier this season and currently ranks inside the top 20 all-time in IHSA history ahead of Saturday’s Class 3A regional final against host Rochester at 11 a.m.

Contributing toward that milestone in addition to the coveted 3A state title two seasons ago is quite fulfilling indeed.

“We've gone to all of the end-of-the-year banquets since we were young and we've known coach Steinwart for a long time,” Griffin said, “so to not only be a part of 700 wins but also his only state championship was really special.”

Meet the Burks

Griffin and Cooper Burk ignited in the 2021 playoffs despite limited experience.

Griffin, in particular, hit two home runs, including a grand slam, in a wild 13-12 sectional final win over Chatham Glenwood before going the distance.

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Senior pitcher/first baseman Ryne Crum and the Burks are among the last key contributors from that championship run.

Griffin said a salient feature of that team was its unselfishness.

“I would just say it's definitely something that we're proud about,” Griffin said. “We learned a lot about culture from them and we want to pass it on to the guys beneath us and just trying to replicate what we did that year to this year.”

Griffin exemplifies that selflessness on the field.

He primarily played third base, shortstop and catcher during the summer but moved over to second and first base for the spring.

He also doubles as one of the main starting pitchers and boasts a 2.22 ERA in 10 starts.

“I'm just going to do whatever it takes up to help the team win,” Griffin said.

Cooper vouched for his brother.

“I've always had confidence in him growing up,” Cooper said. “I know he's always there to get the team going and really just be a leader and give us the motivation to go out there and play and win.”

The power of positivity

Cooper moved to the outfield as young as 10 years old and has remained there ever since.

He has a .272 batting average with 19 RBIs, 26 runs and four home runs this season. Griffin similarly has a .279 average with 17 RBIs, 18 runs and two homers.

Cooper said he had a slow start to the season but has stuck with it.

“There's a couple of mechanical things I could get into but mainly it was just where I was at confidently and the mental aspect of it,” Cooper said. “Once I got that up, then I realized that I can do this. I've been doing this my whole entire life and nobody out here can stop me for the most part.”

Just keeping that composure is paramount in the postseason and something the Burks want to underscore to their younger teammates.

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They are all too aware how much the underclassmen look up to them, Crum included.

Crum is currently hitting a team-best .458 with 28 RBIs and 18 runs on top of being a stellar ace on the mound. He is 5-0 with a 1.94 ERA, including 37 Ks.

“Obviously it's a treat to be able to have three like that for three years, and they clearly do a good job of leading,” Steinwart said. “There's times I've wanted them to do a little more, but they're figuring that out. They're all three excellent students, good character kids. It's every coach's dream to have three like that.”

Throw in others such as junior Seth Impson and senior James Jenkins and that’s one solid core, Steinwart said.

“As people who were on the 2021 team, I think people look for us to kind of lead,” Griffin said. “We've got other guys who are vocal too, but I think me and Cooper, James (Jenkins), Ryne (Crum) and Seth (Impson), we've all got to be vocal because we're kind of team leaders on this team. They look for us and I think coaches expect us to lead the team out there.”

Contact Bill Welt: 788-1545, bill.welt@sj-r.com, Twitter.com/BillWelt

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: IHSA baseball: Burk twins carry Springfield High into 2023 playoffs