Burress Collects Third Freshman All-America Honor Following Standout 2024 Season
Another major national honor has landed in Greenville and it belongs to one of the most exciting young players in college baseball.
Braden Burress, East Carolina’s freshman spark plug, was named a Second-Team Freshman All-American by D1Baseball on Tuesday. It marks his third national All-America selection this postseason, joining First-Team honors from the NCBWA and Second-Team recognition from Perfect Game.
Burress becomes the 23rd Freshman All-American in program history and the seventh Pirate to earn that recognition since 2020, reinforcing the momentum of ECU’s developmental pipeline under head coach Cliff Godwin.
The Snow Hill, N.C. native was listed as an outfielder by D1Baseball after playing the position full-time in 2024 despite being a former high school shortstop. He adapted quickly to the role and delivered one of the most productive freshman seasons in college baseball. Burress led all Division I freshmen in batting average (.389) and ranked among the top 60 nationally in both on-base percentage (.488) and total hits (82).
A key piece of ECU’s postseason success, Burress helped the Pirates capture the American Athletic Conference Tournament title, their first since 2022. He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament after batting .450 (9-for-20) with six runs, two home runs, five RBIs, and a double across four games. That performance followed up his selection to both the All-AAC Second Team and the AAC All-Freshman Team.
Over 58 games, Burress emerged as ECU’s leadoff hitter and most consistent offensive presence, tallying 11 doubles, four home runs, 33 RBIs, and a team-leading 18 stolen bases on 22 attempts. His approach at the plate was equally impressive: 31 walks to just 26 strikeouts — a rare trait for a first-year hitter. He strung together a 10-game hitting streak in March, produced 26 multi-hit games, and recorded four-hit efforts against Duke, UNCW, UAB, and South Florida.
With ECU finishing 35-28 and extending its streak of seven consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, Burress has already confirmed his return for 2025. While he thrived in center field this past season, the expectation is that he’ll shift back to second base, his natural position, as the Pirates retool for another run.
Burress’s combination of athleticism, baseball IQ, and competitive fire has already made him one of the most important players in the program and he’s just getting started.