Raphael Turner wants aggression in debut season as Mountain Island Charter baseball coach
MOUNT HOLLY, N.C.— After a solid 2021 season where the Mountain Island Charter School Raptors posted a 13-3 record, the varsity baseball team hopes to build off the previous success for the upcoming season.
The Raptors made a deep playoff push into the fourth round before a 7-1 loss to the East Surry Cardinals ended their season. But after coach Raikes Bennett retired, Mountain Island Charter turned the program over to Raphael Turner
Turner emphasized small-ball and manufactured runs rather than rely on one big hit.
“You might have one or two guys like that in the lineup that you know when they get to the plate put something in play hard, there’s a good chance you’ll get a double, good chance to get a base hit,” Turner said. “So, with that being said if I know two guys who can do it, I need seven guys in the box that know how to play small ball.”
Two notable players from 2021 are sophomore Jake Barber, who hit .341 with 11 RBIs, and junior Cole Hart who drove in 10 runs while posting a .358 batting average. Both players will be key returns for the 2022 campaign.
Hustle, aggressive baserunning, being able to take the extra bag and putting pressure on opposing defenses was another focal point for Turner.
“Force the defense to stop us, and I’m going to be honest, it’s probably going to be situations during the year where I might pull a guy out because I don’t believe he’s aggressive enough for me,” Turner said. “I want us to outplay guys from a hustle standpoint.”
Hart stole 16 bases in 16 attempts while junior Leonard Hadley collected 10 steals in 11 attempts. With these players possibly returning, the Raptors should be comfortable with this style of play.
It was more than stealing bags, Turner said. Aggressive baserunning meant knowing when to run first to third, second to home, and possibly first to home if a ball found an outfield gap.
“When teams face us, I want them to think, ‘Man we can’t let these guys on first, if we do it’s going to get crazy fast,’” Turner said.
With a strong emphasis on Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) sports and various sports organizations players participate in, Turner also hoped to bring a sense of local pride back to his athletes.
“This is my school district, this is who I play for, actually playing for something,” Turner said. “I’m super excited about that— to have an opportunity to make a lasting impact on their lives, assist them in places I didn’t have that assistance with recruiting, and helping them move on.”
Most importantly, Turner is a man of faith and hard work, and this is reflected in what he wanted to teach the team in his first year at the helm.
“I really want them to have faith in the fact that hard work works, every single day of the week, hard work works, and understanding that if you won’t do it someone else will,” Turner said. “That’s every aspect of life whether it’s baseball, you going out here and getting a job, you marrying the girl of your dreams, if you don’t do it somebody else will.”
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