Mike Burrows knew what they were saying. It happens in programs that measure themselves with championships. Success begets lineage. And Burrows, with the big arm even as a freshman, with the early commitment to UConn, would be The Next Great One at Waterford High School.

And yet into this season, his junior year, no championships delivered. His fault? Hardly. But it wasn’t necessarily the perception. A late-season loss last year to East Lyme and an early-season loss to the Vikings this year didn’t help.

Is the kid this good or what?

Happily, Burrows need explain himself no longer. Dominant would be one way to describe the rest of his season. Really dominant would be another. And that’s why Burrows has been named The Day’s 2017 All-Area Baseball Player of the Year.

What began, essentially with a 21-strikeout masterpiece at Killingly ended with a 15-strikeout conquest in the Class M state championship game (lest we forget the two-hitter in the quarterfinals, too). Burrows delivered the Lancers to their 10th state championship win.

Waterford coach Art Peluso after the Killingly game: “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Peluso after the championship game: “He would not be denied.”

Hard to summarize Burrows’ season any better.

“Winning the championship is something I’ll never forget,” Burrows said. “When the spotlight comes on, I expect a lot of myself. I’m glad I could help my team.”

Burrows won eight games this season and led Lancers in hitting. Maybe his two best hits, though, weren’t hits at all, but nonetheless illustrated the breadth of his game: two (mammoth) foul home runs in the state tournament at Middletown’s spacious Palmer Field.

It was clear Burrows’ teammates knew the identity of the team’s pied piper.

“When Mike is on the mound,” fellow pitcher Walker Sutman said, “we believe we are going to win.”

Burrows’ maturity on the field was as evident as his dominance on it. He did not allow a fussy home plate umpire to rattle him in the state championship game. Nor did he allow expectations and a disappointing start against East Lyme to derail his year.

“I’ve heard a lot of stuff. The next Matt Harvey and stuff like that,” Burrows said. “I don’t see myself as the next anybody but myself. I want to milk the last bit of everything I have from myself. I mean, I didn’t go out there in the state championship game and think ‘Oh my God, I have to win this game.’ Just to go out there and do my thing. Just pitch.”

The good news for Peluso, aside from seeing another banner in the Francis X. Sweeney Fieldhouse, is the thought of coaching Burrows for another season. The Lancers return Burrows and Sutman, a left-hander drawing interest from Dartmouth, among others. Not a bad place to start, although they’ll have to replace Avery Point-bound pitcher Collin Bakken and catcher Alex Petchark, among others.

“We can’t look at who we lost. Just believe we can get back to where we were this year,” Burrows said.

Meantime, Burrows will keep fielding texts from UConn coach Jim Penders, with whom Burrows said he corresponds regularly. One more season at Waterford and one more chance to hang another banner on the increasingly crowded walls.

“My goal,” Burrows said, “is to keep my head down and stay humble.”

m.dimauro@theday.com

The Day's 2017 All-Area Baseball Team

Player

of

the

Year - Mike Burrows (Waterford) 

Infield - Trevor Delesdernier (East Lyme), Jace Funaro (Old Lyme), Ken Turner (Ledyard), Mike Williams (Fitch)

Outfield - Matt Abbey (East Lyme), Dan Castelpoggi (Waterford), Kevin Ferrer (Stonington)

Pitcher - Collin Bakken (Waterford), Ian Cekala (Fitch)

Catcher - Matt Malcom (East Lyme)

Designated hitter - Alex Petchark (Waterford)

Utility - Connor McCrea (Fitch)