Round 12, Pick 358: Michael Turner | 2B, Mississippi State | SIGNED

[JJ]

[!NICK!]

Seems like he goes by Brandon.

This is a real interesting pick. He must've had injury troubles this year, because he only had 23 ABs, but in 2007 the dood hit .399 in 208 ABs.

[markotsay7]

After playing just eight games this past college season, Mississippi State’s Brandon Turner didn’t know what to expect from the major league baseball draft last week. Representatives from the Florida Marlins are expected to be at the Turner household later this week, though, after picking the middle infielder in the 12th round Friday. “For having not played much this year, it was surprising to go that early,” said Mike Turner, his dad and his former coach at Walker Valley High School. Brandon had worked out for some of the clubs. “From what the scouts saw and then from his workout, I guess they were satisfied with what they saw,” Mike said. “We talked with several and he went to several workouts, but with him not playing very much, we weren’t expecting anything,” said Kathy Turner, Brandon’s mother. Brandon was finally shelved by the Mississippi State coaching staff after trying three times to come back from a pulled hamstring. “He just kept reinjuring the hamstring,” Kathy said. “They brought him back, but you could tell that he couldn’t run full speed. After two or three times of resting him and bringing him back, they decided to shut him down.” He had just 23 at-bats this season. Last year as a redshirt freshman he hit .399 with three home runs, a triple, 13 doubles and 48 RBIs in 51 games. He started 38 games at shortstop, 12 at second base and one as the Bulldogs’ designated hitter. “He could get hurt. You’re taking a chance either way you go,” Mike Turner said. “It’s a tough decision for a kid, even if he is 21 years old. We’re giving him some advice and going to let him make up his own mind.” Brandon has options. The 2008 season was to have been his sophomore year, but he is eligible now for a medical redshirt that could give him three more seasons in Starkville. “We’re going back and forth, trying to negotiate a little bit, but it is pretty close. He could get drafted the next three years, but they like to get you when you’re young,” Mike said. Ron Polk, the Bulldogs’ coach for 29 seasons, retired following the season, and that might influence Brandon’s decision. The new coach is John Cohen, leaving the University of Kentucky. “He loved Coach Polk, but he knows that Coach Cohen definitely did a great job at Kentucky,” Mike said. “Brandon talked about him taking that team from scratch to a Southeastern Conference power. A four-year starter and two-time all-state pick for Walker Valley, Brandon was the Times Free Press all-area player of the year and a high school All-American after his senior season, when he hit .536.

Chattanooga Times Free Press | Dalton: Marlins set to visit draft pick Turner

[markotsay7]

Signed.

Former Walker Valley standout Brandon Turner has officially gotten himself in a "jam." Turner traveled to Jupiter, Fla., over the weekend to sign with the Florida Marlins and will begin his professional baseball career as a Jamestown (N.Y.) Jammer. As part of the famed New York-Penn League, the Jammers will open the Class A "short season" on Tuesday against State College (Pa.). The former two-time, all-state player for his dad, Coach Mike Turner at Walker Valley, was taken by the Marlins in the 12th round of the Amateur Draft 10 days ago. Despite missing most of this past collegiate season with a hamstring injury, Turner was the first of five Mississippi State players taken in the draft. After red-shirting his first year with the Bulldogs, Turner had a standout season in 2007 earning him a spot on a trio of All-American Freshman Teams. In 2007, Turner led the Bulldogs with a .399 batting average, which was second-highest in the Southeastern Conference and 10th-highest in school history. He was also third on the team with 83 hits and 48 runs batted in. The 6-foot, 190-pound shortstop/second baseman scored 46 runs and stroked 13 doubles, a triple and three home runs in his first full season with the Bulldogs. He was also 4-for-5 on stolen base attempts while playing in 55 of the team's 60 games, including 51 starts. Before the injury this season, Turner belted one of his five hits out of the park and drove home four runs as well. "He got drafted better than we expected, especially after he missed most of the season," Turner's dad, Mike, expressed. "A lot of the scouts knew him from last year. He was able to go to some workouts recently to let them see he's healthy." With the retirement of legendary coach Ron Polk at seasons end, Turner decided not to return to Mississippi State. While at Walker Valley, Turner was a four-year standout and two-year all-state performer. He compiled a .476 career batting average with 177 RBI, 23 home runs and 73 stolen bases. He was named to the 2005 Louisville Slugger High School All-American team and paced the Mustangs with a .536 batting average, 52 hits, 51 RBI, six home runs and 23 stolen bases as a senior. He helped lead Walker Valley to a 31-4 mark and championships in both district and region that season. Named the 2005 District 5-AA and the ChattanoogaBaseball.com Player of the Year, he was the recipient of the Wirt Gamon Senior Award as the top player in the Chattanooga-North Georgia area. He hit .504 with a career-high 59 RBI as a junior, earning all-state, all-region, all-area and District 5-AA Player of the Year honors , as well. During his sophomore season for the Mustangs, he batted .527 and earned all-district, all-region and all-area honors as a sophomore in 2004 and was named to the all-freshman team in 2003. Turner will begin his road to the Major Leagues in Jamestown, N.Y., a city just a little smaller than Cleveland, with a population of just over 30,000. Located just north of the state line between Erie, Pa., and Buffalo, N.Y., Jamestown was a charter member of the New York-Penn League when it was started in 1939 as the PONY (Pennsylvania, Ontario, New York) League. The league is divdied into three divisions -- McNamara, Pickney and Stredler. Jamestown plays in the Pickney Division along with fellow New York teams from Auburn (Doubledays) and Batavia (Muckdogs), plus Pennsylvania squads from State College (Spikes) and Williamsport (Crosscutters) plus the Mahoning Valley (Scrappers) from Niles, Ohio. The Class A "short season" will run from June 17 through early September.

Cleveland Daily Banner - Cleveland, TN