May 26, 2009

Steve Brawner
Special to Rivals High

Jacob Turner wants to be like Roger Clemens on the field and Albert Pujols off of it.

The 6-foot-5 right-handed pitcher from Westminster Christian Academy in Saint Charles, Mo., is ranked fifth on Rivals.com's list of 2009 prospects.

Turner produced an eye-popping stat line this season, including a 7-1 record and an ERA of 0.40. In 52 innings, he struck out 105 ? more than two per inning ? while allowing only 19 hits and eight walks.

Eight walks?

"I kind of look at it like, if they're going to get on base, I'd rather them take a good swing at a ball and get a hit," he said. "It's a lot harder for them to do that than just stand there and take four pitches."

It's really hard for them to do either when Turner is smoking 98 mph fastballs past them. Thanks to offseason work and natural development, Turner's velocity has climbed from the low 90s his sophomore year to a high of 98 this spring. He also owns a nasty curve and a changeup that he never throws.

Why would he, with a 98 mph fastball?

For Turner, pitching is a science as much as it is an art. Working with his pitching coach, former St. Louis Cardinals reliever Todd Worrell, and former Cardinals catcher Mike Matheny - whose son plays for the team - Turner has learned to analyze the game both as it is happening and after the last out. Each batter is like a baseball clinic, except Turner is both the teacher and the student.

"You can learn so much about what you're going to throw on your next pitch just from the way he swung at the last pitch," he said.

Turner said, like Clemens, he doesn't back down from hitters and tries to keep them off balance by pitching inside. Off the field, he hopes to emulate Pujols, the Cardinals slugger who is well-known for his Christian values and community service.

"I think the biggest thing is honoring God with the gifts He has given you," he said, "and understanding the situation that you're in and understanding the effect you can have on all the kids, and the effect you can have on kids coming up, whether it's through the minors or through college baseball ? just being a positive example to those kids and being able to help out and give back."

Turner, who like Pujols plays first base when not pitching, is also the team's leading hitter with a .484 average, 35 RBIs and three home runs.

But pitching is Turner's passion.

"Pitchers usually get either all of the glory or all of the blame for a loss, and I think that's how it should be," he said. "You're out there to do a job and you're out there to help your team win, and I like having all of the pressure, having all of the situation of the game just be on you. It really depends on how you throw as to whether the team's going to have a chance to win, or if you're team's not really going to have a chance to win."

Naturally, Turner has attracted a lot of attention. Westminster coach Rich Van Gilst said the lower-level scouts at his games have been replaced by major league scouting directors and assistant general managers.

"They tell me he's the best prospect out of this area that they can remember," he said.

Turner has committed to play baseball at the University of North Carolina, and as it stands now, that's where he's going this fall. But with the MLB draft rapidly approaching and his stock remaining high, he knows he could be given an offer he can't refuse.

"It would be an honor to have the decision to make," he said. "Right now, I'm focused on getting better and focused on helping our team get in the playoffs, and let the draft happen. All I can do is go out there and pitch and be myself."

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