Shipley’s Fran Turner is Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week
The junior outfielder has been a valuable contributor for the Gators baseball squad, batting 11-for-24 (.458) as a leadoff hitter as of April 7, and during a recent torrid week at the plate, went 8-for-11 with 2 doubles, 2 triples and 4 RBIs. Noted for his fine arm strength, speed and defense at multiple positions, Turner has thrown out several baserunners at the plate so far this season. Turner received All-Main Line baseball honors as a sophomore last spring. Off the field, he is a student government representative at Shipley, and was captain of the Gators’ junior varsity basketball team last winter.
Q: What do you think has been the most important thing you’ve learned recently regarding hitting?
A: The biggest change I’ve made is my approach with my swing. Instead trying to put a perfect swing on every pitch I’ve been focusing more on simplifying my approach and just being a hitter. I’m seeing the pitches better and putting a more natural swing on them, to hit the ball to all fields.
Q: Tell us a little about your approach at the plate as a leadoff hitter, as compared to someone who hits lower in the batting order. Do you become more selective at the plate?
A: Being the leadoff hitter doesn’t affect my approach at the plate much. I’ve always been selective in the pitches I swing at and the ones I leave. It affects me more on the base paths. I know I have good hitters behind me, so I don’t have to be as aggressive and steal as many bases. Our hitters can drive balls and move me around the bases when I get on.
Q: What is your favorite outfield position?
A: It doesn’t matter to me where I’m playing in the outfield because my responsibility is the same at all three positions. I’ve been moving between them more this season, based on who is pitching for us, and how batters typically hit them.
Q: As a hitter, after facing a pitcher a couple of times in a game, you probably have a better idea of what he’s going to throw you late in a game. Can you give us an example of how this has worked in your favor?
A: In our last game I faced the other team’s starter three times, so I could get a feel of how he used his pitches and in what counts. It worked to my benefit, as I sat on a 3-1 fastball away, and doubled to the opposite field.
Q: What aspect of your game did you work on most during the past off-season?
A: I tried to get my body into better shape to perform. I’ve been working out more to gain functional strength, and eating better nutritionally to perform better on the field.
Q: Tell us a little about your start in baseball. Who have been your biggest baseball mentors, and what was the most important thing each of them taught you about baseball?
A: My whole family has surrounded me with baseball since I was born. My parents have certainly been the biggest contributors, as my dad was my Little League coach for years, and my mom let me practice diving catches on the couch in the living room. My entire life I’ve been supported from everyone, from my grandparents all the way down to my younger brother.
Q: Who is your favorite baseball player and why? What is your favorite ballpark and why?
A: My favorite player is easily Chase Utley. I grew up watching the great Phillies teams, and he was always The Guy on the field. His toughness and competitive side worked very well in Philly, and they had a lasting impact on me as a kid. My favorite ball park is obviously Citizens Bank Park. I’ve been to parks like Fenway, Camden Yards, etc., but being at the Bank and watching the Phillies is an unmatched experience.
Q: You wear uniform jersey No. 4 for Shipley baseball – was there a reason you chose this number?
A: No. 4 is my number for everything from basketball to my travel team, Philly Bandits. It became special to me after I got it for a few years in a row in Little league and I adopted it as mine. I was born in 2004, so it lines up very nicely.
Q: Tell us a little about your pre-game preparation the day of a game.
A: The biggest thing I do ahead of games is get loose and prepare to be explosive. I don’t mess with anything mechanically before a game, I just focus on getting my body ready with stretches and band work to play my best.
Q: What is your favorite academic course at Shipley? What do you think you might like to major in at college? Is there a career field that particularly interests you at the present time?
A: My favorite course is my calculus class. It has helped me find a love for math, and I think I want to continue it into college for mechanical engineering. I don’t quite know where I want to go from there, but I am interested in pursuing math and seeing where it takes me.
Fun facts – Fran Turner
Favorite book: Percy Jackson.
Favorite author: F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Favorite TV show: Brooklyn 99.
Favorite movie: Cars.
Favorite athlete: Chase Utley.
Favorite pre-game pump-up song: All of the Lights, by Kanye West.
Favorite team: Phillies.
Favorite place to visit: “The Jersey Shore.”
Favorite pre-game meal: Cereal or eggs.
Person I most admire: Dave Chappelle.
Family members: parents Michael and Meredith, sister Maggie, brother Augie.
(To be selected as Main Line Boys Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by his coach.)
