2010 Overview: The reigning Big Ten Conference Player of the Year not only does damage at the plate but greatly improved his defense in his second season, throwing out over 33 percent of attempt base-stealers. A preseason All-American, Dan is a career .366 hitter with runners in scoring position and hit a torrid .833 with a runner on third base and less than two out in 2009. The longtime battery mate of Buckeye ace Alex Wimmers improved his batting average 46 points and added nine home runs from his freshman to his sophomore season and looks to do more of the same in 2010.

2009 (Sophomore): Played in 57 games, starting all of them ... named Big Ten Conference Player of the Year and first-team All-Big Ten ... was a semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Catcher of the Year Award and was first-team All-Mideast Region (ABCA/Rawlings) ... once again proved to be a valuable asset both at-bat and behind the plate for the Buckeyes ... ranked second on the team in batting average (.354), slugging percentage (.589), RBI (62) and home runs (10) ... RBI total was good for fifth in the Big Ten and slugging percentage ranked 10th in the conference ... led the Buckeyes with 17 multiple RBI games and was fourth on the team with 23 multi-hit games ... batted a team-leading .424 with runners in scoring position and 28 two-out RBI ... started the season on a 16-game hitting streak after hitting in his final three games of the 2008 campaign ... made just seven errors in 452 chances, a .985 fielding percentage, while throwing out 21 of 60 baserunners ... batted .350 with three home runs and 22 RBI in Big Ten play ... nine doubles in conference play tied for tops on the team ... hit .474 (9-for-19) with two doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI in the Kennel Club Classic against North Florida, George Mason and Connecticut ... had at least two hits in 10 of 25 games in the state of Florida ... hit .385 (5-for-13) in the Penn State series ... drove in six runs in the Michigan State series.

2008 (Freshman): Dan was the first true freshman to start at catcher since Mike Durant in 1989 (Durant went on to play in the majors with the Minnesota Twins) ... ranked fifth on the team with 53 hits and fourth with 29 RBI ... tied for second with 15 RBI in Big Ten games ... hit .636 (7-for-11) in the Illinois series ... hit first collegiate home run in G4 vs. Northwestern ... drove in five runs in the Northwestern series ... had season highs of four hits and three runs scored vs. Harvard ... had two singles and drove in two runs in the second inning vs. Eastern Michigan ... hit .500 (3-for-6) in the Big Ten tournament with a double and three RBI ... had 15 multi-hit games and three multi-RBI games ... had seven-game hitting streak ... stayed strong at the plate entire season and ended by hitting .428 in last 11 games of the season (15-for-35) with seven RBI and six runs scored ... threw out nine baserunners attempting to steal ... played summer baseball in the Northwoods League for the Mankato (Minn.) Moon Dogs.

Archbishop Moeller H.S.: A two-year starter and three-year letterman for coach Mike Cameron, the winningest baseball coach in Ohio high school annals ... was a team captain as a senior when he was named first-team all-Ohio by the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association ... was also selected as a two-time first-team all-Greater Catholic League choice ... played on two Moeller teams that won the Greater Catholic League championship ... team was 27-4 his senior season and won a district title and was No. 1 in the state polls ... named all-city as a senior and honorable mention all-city as a junior ... hit .415 with three home runs and 23 RBI as a senior and finished career with a .385 average, four home runs and 50 RBI ... two-time honoree as the team's best defensive player ... team was Connie Mack national champion in 2007.

Personal: Dan is the son of Jack and Donna Burkhart ... has a twin brother, Jeff, another brother, Brian, and a sister, Jennifer ... Jeff is a sophomore pitcher for Ohio Dominican ... an uncle, Bo Burkhart, played baseball for Xavier ... one of four current baseball players from Moeller ... likes to bowl, golf, play video games and paintball.