Lexington native Burkley Bounds commits to Kentucky
Bounds, a freshman at EKU this past season, led the team in ERA.
Eastern Kentucky University righthanded pitcher transfer Burkley Bounds has committed to Kentucky, he announced on social media on Saturday night. Bounds, who played at Lexington Catholic High School, went 2-0 with a 4.17 ERA for the Colonels in 2025.
Bounds appeared in 18 games for EKU and started two games at the end of the season. In 41 innings pitched, Bounds struck out 39 batters and held batters to a .244 average. He gave up 38 hits and 19 earned runs during his freshman campaign. In his first college start on May 11 against North Alabama, Bounds gave up just two earned runs in 6.2 innings pitched. He struck out five batters and walked just two batters. In his appearance prior to that, Bounds threw 5.2 innings out of the bullpen against Central Arkansas and struck out five without walking a batter.
EKU head coach Walt Jones was fired on May 21 following an 11-44 season, allowing Bounds and other players on EKU’s roster to enter the transfer portal immediately. The portal opens without restrictions on Monday, June 2.
A late bloomer in the prep ranks, Bounds didn’t commit to EKU until April of his senior season. He helped lead the Knights — along with UK commits Jack Sams and Owen Jenkins — to an 11th Region championship in 2024 with an 8-2 record and a 1.65 ERA. He mostly sat in the mid-80s mph range while a high schooler, but was up to 93 mph with the Colonels in the spring. He’s also developed more secondary pitches and generated plenty of swing and miss on his slider.
Bounds will have three seasons of eligibility remaining, giving the Wildcats another developmental piece to work with on the pitching staff. He’s the first player in this portal cycle to make his commitment to Kentucky public.
“Public” does that mean the NKU pitcher is not official?