Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 20 Beloit Turner

The perennially competitive Rock Valley Conference just became that much more cutthroat in 2018 by combining its North and South divisions into one, pitting powerhouses Beloit Turner and Jefferson against each other. The Division-2 schools are now set to determine the true king of the RVC this spring. Jefferson has won six straight North titles while Turner’s a reigning back-to-back champ in the now-defunct South. As talented as Jefferson is once again, however, 2018 may be Turner’s best shot at the conference crown and at another bid at D-2 state.

The Trojans fell to West Salem in last season’s state semifinals, 5-3, in heartbreaking fashion. With since-graduated senior Hunter Martindale (Wisconsin-Stout) at the plate, Turner had the tying run at second. Martindale struck out, though, and ended the Trojans’ bid at its first state title since 2001.

The good news is many members of that team are back for a little redemption this year, namely one of the state’s best players OF/LHP Mitchell Seager (Winona State). Seager was an all-state selection a year ago, one of only two juniors to earn the honor. He’s been a lock in Coach Jeff Clowes’ lineup ever since his freshman season when he hit .333. And he’s been a nightmare for opposing pitchers ever since, finishing with a .515 average in his junior season. He’s on our radar, too, and is presently ranked No. 54 overall in his state’s class. When he’s not in the outfield, it’s because it’ll be his turn on the mound. He takes the ball in the rotation after ace RHP Hunter Waldsmith.

Waldsmith joined Seager as a first team RVA all-conference selection. His inclusion was obvious since Waldsmith dominated for a full season, going 9-0 with a 1.93 ERA. And, like Seager, is a valuable cog in the Trojans offensive machine. He hit .495 for Turner last year, giving the program, arguably, the best D-2 duo in the state. The junior Walker will likely be the team’s No. 3 starter this spring, as mentioned in the previous section, giving Coach Clowes an experienced and stable unit of arms to rely on.

Senior INF Ryan Hughes (Rock Valley JC) returns to the middle of the infield for Turner, where he was named second team all-conference a season ago. He’s been an efficient defender for them and a capable hitter to complement the Seager-Waldsmith show. Juniors INF Adrian Estrada and OF Kyle Hannaman are also back after seeing the field some as sophomores and should sufficiently back up the seniors.