​Blake Burke was about to board a plane when news hit that Andrew Fischer had been drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers. Burke, the organization’s first-round pick from the previous year, was heading home for the 2025 All-Star break when he learned of Fischer’s selection. He understood exactly what the Brewers were getting in Fischer, who had capped an All-America season at Tennessee. Burke himself had helped spearhead Tennessee’s ascent to college baseball prominence as a central figure on the Volunteers’ 2024 national championship squad. Although Burke and Fischer didn’t share the field at Tennessee for more than a single season, they did know each other from Burke’s offseason training visits back to campus. Burke reached out to offer his congratulations.
“The first time I called him, he big-leagued me,” Burke recalled. “There wasn’t a text or a call back for a few days, but that’s all right. Having him in the organization is pretty exciting because I didn’t get to play with him.” Now the two are not only teammates but also sharing a field this week back in Knoxville, performing for the Biloxi Shuckers, Milwaukee’s Double-A affiliate, in a six-game series against the Chattanooga Smokies at Covenant Health Park. In the series opener on July 7, both wore white and orange cleats, Burke hitting fourth and starting at first base while Fischer batted fifth and manned third base for Biloxi. Fans gave them ovations as they were announced, and the Smokies reciprocated by playing Tennessee walk-up songs at each of their at-bats.
Burke went 0-for-4, while Fischer went 3-for-4 with two doubles and a triple, as Biloxi defeated Tennessee’s affiliate 9-4. “Knoxville feels like home,” Fischer said. “These fans feel like home. I don’t really think they care what uniform we’re wearing.” Both players have been among the Brewers’ hottest minor-league hitters this season. Burke, ranked Brewers’ No. 16 prospect, leads the Southern League with 19 homers. Fischer recently joined him in Biloxi after being promoted on June 15 following a 20-homer season at the High-A level, and he’s hit eight home runs in his first 16 Double-A games, adapting smoothly to the higher level.
Tennessee fans are accustomed to fireworks from Burke and Fischer. In three years with the Vols, Burke launched 50 homers, the second-most in program history behind Christian Moore, and earned first-team All-American honors in 2024. Fischer arrived as a transfer from Ole Miss the following season and hit 25 home runs, the second-most ever by a Tennessee player in a single season. This is Burke’s second series in Knoxville since being drafted No. 34 overall by the Brewers in 2024, and Fischer’s first since he went No. 20 in 2025. They had a chance to connect with current Tennessee players the day before their first game, drawing a modest crowd of orange-clad fans.
It’s pretty cool to see where this journey has led them, from college star power in Knoxville to rising prospects in the Brewers’ system, sharing a stadium and a series on the road to bigger stages.