Michael Turner
Written and photographed by Andrew Keatts
Senior, St. Michaels High School
Baseball, Basketball, Soccer
Going into his senior season, Michael Turner has high hopes for both his team and himself. “As a pitcher, I want to win all my games. At the plate, I plan to have more RBIs than anyone in the area,” he says. “As a team, we expect to go to States.” While those expectations are indeed ambitious, Brian Femi, baseball coach and athletic director at St. Michaels High School, doesn’t seem to think they are out of reach. “[Turner] has a tremendous amount of God-given talent,” he says. “[He] is a 5-tool player—he runs well, hits well with power, has a good arm, is a good defensive player, and he is a smart player. Not many people possess all of those characteristics.”
After his junior season, Turner was named to the All-Conference, All-Region, and All-States teams. In a press release from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore announcing Turner’s decision to sign a national letter of intent to attend school and play baseball there, he was described as “a local superstar.”
Discussing his role as a leader, however, Turner was a bit bashful. “I guess I’d have to say that I am a leader, since Coach Femi always says it,” he admits. In turn, Femi has simple hopes for Turner as a team leader: “I expect [him] to lead by example,” he says. “He is a four-year starter. We ask our players to represent our school with respect, and to respect the game at all times. We ask our players to always hustle, play smart, and play hard. If younger players see [him] demonstrating those characteristics, they will follow his lead.”