Columbia Academy, Summertown standouts named TBCA Mr. Baseball finalists

SM-Tn Sports

Columbia Academy’s Kavares Tears and Summertown’s Grant Burleson are among the finalists for the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association’s 2021 Mr. Baseball awards, which will be presented during a Tuesday ceremony in Murfreesboro prior to the Spring Fling state championship tournaments.

Tears, a University of Tennessee signee, is hitting .462 with 11 home runs, 52 RBIs and 46 runs for the Bulldogs, who will play in the Division II-A state quarterfinals beginning Thursday against host Christian Academy of Knoxville. A 2019 Class A Mr. Baseball finalist as well, he is also 7-2 with a 2.28 earned run average and 87 strikeouts in 43 innings.

Burleson, who has signed with Columbia State, is hitting .477 with 15 homers, 53 RBIs and 51 runs as the Eagles travel Wednesday to face Loretto in the Region 6-A tournament finals. On the mound, he is 6-2 with a 1.42 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 48 innings.

The awards ceremony will be held at New Visions Church in Murfreesboro beginning at 11 a.m.

The full list of finalists is as follows:

Class A – Grant Burleson, Summertown; Chris Martin, Moore Co.; Peyton Smith, East Robertson

Class AA – Eli Huddleston, Upperman; Dylan Loy, Pigeon Forge; Ethan McElvain, Nolensville

Class AAA – Jayden Davis, Cookeville; Derek McCarley, Seymour; Logan Sutton, Powell

Division II-A – Brendan Jones, Goodpasture; James McCracken, Middle Tenn. Chr.; Kavares Tears, Columbia Acad.

Division II-AA – Mick Arney, Briarcrest Chr.; Miller Green, Lipscomb Acad.; Cooper Kinney, Baylor

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