Each season, Liberty baseball coach Andy Pitsilos picks a player as the point person for team communication.

Pitsilos texts that player a message about the Hurricanes' plans and schedule for the day. The player then relays the information to teammates.

Jared Burcin was a natural choice as the liaison between Pitsilos and the Hurricanes this season.

"He handled it real well," Pitsilos said last week. "He's just a mature kid. Gradewise, schoolwise, he's never in trouble. He's just a great kid off the field, and was that kind of leader for me."

Burcin handled every job given to him in 2017. The Morning Call's baseball player of the year commanded Liberty's pitching staff behind the plate. He shut down the opposition's running game with his arm and burned opposing pitchers with his bat.

The affable Burcin enjoyed it all. Playing with a bunch of teammates he had known since elementary school, he wanted to lead Liberty to a championship before heading to Bloomsburg University. He succeeded as the Hurricanes came back from losing to Parkland in the EPC final to beat the Trojans in the District 11 Class 6A title game.

Liberty went on to reach the PIAA 6A semifinals, its best state-tournament run since it lost in the 2002 PIAA 4A final. Burcin played a lead part in many of Liberty's rallies along the way. He hit .384 with a .482 on-base percentage, eight doubles, one home run, nine runs and 28 RBIs.

Even when Burcin made outs, they tended to come on hard contact. Pitsilos didn't recall his catcher slumping once during the season.

Burcin also excelled behind the plate. He didn't commit an error and often pounced on bunts to cut down baserunners.

"He made plays that other catchers I've had wouldn't have made," Pitsilos said. "He was pretty special defensively. He basically stopped the running game. Teams were reluctant to steal on him. When they did, he threw that first guy out. There went the running game."

Burcin landed at catcher thanks to a nudge from his dad, who told him he wouldn't stick at shortstop as he grew through Little League. Burcin decided to try catching because of the constant involvement in play.

That involvement could have taken a toll on him as Liberty crammed in 15 games April 3-29. He stayed as consistent as any hitter during a regular season where the Hurricanes ripped off 18 wins in 19 games during one stretch.

Liberty's run through the District 11 playoffs after falling short in the EPC tournament will stick with Burcin the longest. The Hurricanes beat Emmaus in 11 innings to reach the District 11 6A final before outlasting Parkland 2-1 in nine innings to win the program's first district title since a 4A championship in 2007.

"I set my expectations high," Burcin said. "I always like to push myself and do better than I did last year. For our team, the goal was to win districts and be the best we could be and have fun.

"The enjoyment, the excitement of that was the best."

samiller@mcall.com

Twitter @mcall_smiller

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Morning Call all-area baseball: Liberty's Jared Burcin is player of the year - Allentown Morning Call