For Burns, playing on the fresh-cut grass and the smooth, orange clay paving the 90-foot base paths at Mark Light Field seemed improbable just one year ago.<\/p>\n
During his sophomore season at Cisco College, a junior school in Texas, Burns developed a \u201cbump\u201d on his left leg. Burns didn\u2019t think it was anything serious and kept playing, hitting .363 in 30 games. A visit from his parents would change the course of his season and life.<\/p>\n
![](\"http:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/reporting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Screen-Shot-2017-03-03-at-4.18.03-AM-300x222.png\")
<\/a>Miami outfielder Michael Burns.<\/p><\/div>\n
Last March, Burns was out to dinner with his parents along with fellow Cisco transfer and best friend Jeb Bargfeldt<\/a>.<\/p>\n Bargfeldt brought up the bump on Burns\u2019 leg to his mom. Anita Burns\u2019 instincts told her something was wrong and the next morning, she took her son to the hospital.<\/p>\n Burns underwent surgery to remove the abnormality in his leg. At first glance, doctors were unsure what it was, but ultimately, they diagnosed the bump as myxoid liposarcoma \u2013 a rare form of cancer.<\/p>\n Following the procedure, Burns underwent 37 radiation treatments running through July 2016 and now has a 17-inch titanium rod running down his left femur.<\/p>\n While the odds seemed almost insurmountable at one point, Burns overcame the disease with a hard-fought battle. He credits his friends and family for helping him through the difficult time.<\/p>\n \u201cThe people in my life \u2013 I try to surround myself with the best people I can,\u201d said the Littleton, Colorado, native. \u201cThat\u2019s why I came here. I feel like I\u2019m surrounded by people who keep me going. The people in my life kept me going.\u201d<\/p>\n Burns, who committed to UM before the procedure, feels right at home in this Hurricanes lineup.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m 5-foot-9 and a buck-80,\u201d Burns said. \u201cI try running it out of the yard, but I don\u2019t think a lot of them are leaving, so that\u2019s kind of my game. That\u2019s exciting that there are eight other guys that play the same game as me.\u201d<\/p>\n Burns started in right field\u00a0for Miami opening weekend and picked up his first hit as a Cane against Rutgers on Saturday night. He finished with a two-hit, three-RBI game as the Hurricanes won 8-4. The victory was nice, but to Burns, just playing baseball again was more than enough.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s like a dream,\u201d Burns said. \u201cI\u2019m floating on a cloud at The Light.\u201d<\/p>\n Burns is also enjoying the experience of playing in Miami\u2019s historic home turf.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Mark Light magic,\u201d Burns said. \u201cAt Cisco, there weren\u2019t a lot of people. It\u2019s exciting to see how the fans are about this team.\u201d<\/p>\n Burns and the Hurricanes will host Dartmouth this weekend as they look to extend their winning streak.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By JOSH WHITE To many Hurricanes fans, opening weekend was just a normal start to the baseball season with hopes of reaching the College World Series come June. However, for University of Miami junior outfielder Michael Burns, this year means … Continue reading