BROOKVILLE, N.Y. — Luke Turner resolved that his collegiate career would not end due to injury. And six weeks after experiencing a collision while manning first base that threatened to be season-ending, Turner is back in the LIU baseball lineup.
Turner, who suffered an ulnar collateral ligament tear and fractured elbow while reaching into a runner to collect a throw from pitcher
Joshua Loeschorn at Merrimack on April 1, returned to the Sharks' lineup this past Friday.
He went hitless in his first six at-bats during the weekend series against Fairleigh Dickinson as he shook off rust and got used to playing with the residual effects of the injury. But Turner now appears back in form. He went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Tuesday's 5-0 win at Siena as LIU set the program's Division I single-season record for wins with No. 32.
"This is my last year of college baseball, so I wanted to make sure I could do everything I could to get back on the field," said Turner, who was hitting .397 (29-for-73) before being sidelined for six weeks. "It took a little while to see some pitches and get back in the swing of things in terms of getting my approach back and working through pain while I'm up to bat. It's slowly getting back. The last game I was pretty successful."
Turner learned while idle that he had an additional season of eligibility beyond this year. However, he has resolved to stick with the original plan he and coach
Dan Pirillo discussed before Turner joined LIU as a graduate transfer for this academic year.
Turner intends to play this summer with the Elmshorn Alligators in the German Bundesliga after completing LIU's season. It will give him an opportunity to "see the world," and to try to use that exposure as a springboard to a professional opportunity in independent ball or with an affiliated team in the United States in 2023.
He is putting off surgery until after the season in Germany, since he has been advised by medical professionals that playing through the injuries primarily is a pain-tolerance decision and that he is not doing further damage.
"That was all I needed to get back on the field," said Turner, who also tore a capsule and forearm flexor.
Turner, who had a standout undergraduate career at Division III York College in his native Pennsylvania, ideally has plenty of college baseball left in him.
The Sharks (32-17, 16-8 NEC) close the regular season with a three-game series that opens Thursday at Mount St. Mary's. With a one-game lead on Bryant in the standings, LIU is in position to earn the NEC's outright title and claim the No. 1 seed in next week's conference tournament.
"With the support system that we have, I knew for certain that I'd be back before the playoffs," Turner said.
