By STEVE KRAH
Jim Turner Jr. has been a witness and participant in a large swath of Logansport High School baseball history in his 60 years.
He fondly recalls shagging flies while father Jim Turner Sr., prepared the Berries.
Later, he played for the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer at LHS. Jim Jr. was the winning pitcher after Jim Jr. gave him the ball as a reliever in the fourth inning of the state championship game in 1975. Final: Berries 11, Indianapolis Marshall 5.
In 28 seasons (1964-91), Jim Sr. won 582 games with four state championships (1975, 1977, 1979, 1991), a state runner-up finish (1989) and another Final Four appearance (1990).
When Larry “Bud” Jones became head coach in 1992, Jim Jr. joined his staff and served seven seasons before becoming head coach himself in 1998.
Learning how to play the game from his father while growing up, the younger Turner gained much knowledge from Jones on how to coach young men.
Never much of a yeller and screamer, Turner Jr. says the players of today are generally not motivated by that coming from a coach and are likely to tune out.
“Coach Jones was a great mentor for me,” says Turner Jr. “It was his demeanor. He was calm but firm with players. He would never chew them out. he would describe what was wrong and give them a positive way to fix something.”
Turner Jr. says an adjustment must be suggested as part of the equation.
“Otherwise, you’re not coaching, you’re criticizing,” says Turner Jr. “Give them a way to fix the problem.”
Turner and his 2017 coaching staff — Brad Platt and Greg Korreckt at the varsity level and Cory Cripe, Ron Kinnaman, Mark Lowry and Carlos Villar with the junior varsity — work diligently with the Berries in practice to cover potential situations. Each position has a kind of checklist of things they should know how to do.
“We just try to teach players to be fundamentally sound and take responsibility for their development,” says Turner Jr. “We try to do our coaching in practice. That way we’ve rehearsed or at least talked about everything that could happen and prepare them for the games.”
The Berries adjust their offensive inclinations to their personnel. Turner Jr. says he needs more time to evaluate the new pitch count rules adopted by the IHSAA.
After moving from Riverside Park to Fairview Park, Logan has been on its current on-campus field since the mid-1970’s. It was renamed Jim Turner Field for his father in the early ’90s and in 2016 the Berries became one of the few high schools in Indiana to have artificial turf.
“It’s going to become more and more common,” says Turner Jr. “After a certain period of time the investment pays for itself.”
Before the change to Sprinturf, the field did not drain well and the Berries lost games and practices to inclement weather.
With the turf, Logansport has been able to support a junior high school baseball program as well as soccer and other activities.
Coming off a 16-13 record in 2016, the Berries (10-7, 3-4) head into a May 3 North Central Conference game against Lafayette Harrison.
Established in 1926, the NCC is Indiana’s oldest high school athletic conference. Besides Logansport and Harrison, Kokomo, Lafayette Jeff and McCutcheon are in the West Division with Anderson, Indianapolis Arsenal Tech, Marion, Muncie Central and Richmond in the East Division. The NCC tournament is slated for May 6 and 13.
Logan’s last sectional title came in 2002, the same season the Berries went all the way to the program’s eighth State Finals appearance.
Logansport High School baseball has a long tradition. The Berries now play on turf at Jim Turner Field.
Logansport High School baseball has a long tradition. The Berries now play on turf at Jim Turner Field.
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