In his second season at Ladue HS, Turner Miller has finally gotten the chance to get back behind the plate and his comfort zone, leading to a breakout season. Stuck at third base last season, Turner put up decent numbers, but never felt comfortable in his game. This year he has found that comfort zone and power again. Miller has eleven doubles and thirty-five RBIs, both numbers which rank amoung the top of their respective categories in the St. Louis Metro area.

We recently caught up with Turner to get some of his thoughts on the season, his team, and expectaions for college recruiting.

PBR: Talk a little about the Ladue HS team, and your supporting cast’s contributions.

Miller: Our team’s chemistry is very good. Our starters have seen the ball very well all season and have had a lot of big hits all over the order. Our defense has been off and on the entire season, and we also have had to many mental mistakes. But overall I’d say everyone has stepped up in some way to help the team to victory this season.

PBR: What is your biggest strength as a player?

Miller: I’d say my biggest strength as a player is hitting the ball to the opposite field for power and my catching abilities behind the plate. My arm has been very good this year.

PBR: What aspect of your game do you believe needs the most improvement?

Miller: The most improvement I need in my game is speed. I have gotten a lot faster over the past offseason, but there is definitely room for improvement along with the rest of my game.

PBR: What have are your expectations for the recruiting process?

Miller: This summer I’m looking to play very well and hopefully talk to some colleges; and make my decision on where I can play.

PBR: What type of program would you like to play at? What is most important to you: Caliber of program, coaching staff, academics, etc…?

Miller: I really would like to play at a high caliber college that has a great coaching staff, good academics, and a pretty big incoming freshman class. Playing division one baseball is probably one of the most important things too me.  

PBR: What schools are you most interested in right now, and why?

Miller: I’m not really sure what schools I am interested in. I just want to stay open and see the options as they present themselves.

PBR: What are your personal goals for the 2012 season?

Miller: To hit the ball hard every single time and not waste at bats at the plate.  On the field, not to let anyone steal off of me and have no passed balls.

PBR: What are your high school team goals for 2012 season, and are they being met at the halfway point in the season?

Miller: Our team goal is to win districts first and then win state. Overall we have played great as a team and are trying to meet our goals as time goes on. I think we definitely have a chance at districts and state if we all continue to work hard.

 PBR: What team do you play for in the summer?

Miller: I play for the Rawlings Titans and the head coach is Ben Margalski.

PBR: Who is the toughest pitcher/hitter that you have faced?

Miller: The toughest pitcher I’ve faced this season is probably Brian Howard for SLUH. Brian has really great control of his changeup and curveball, also he spots his fast ball very well.

PBR: What is your fondest memory or highlight from your 2011 baseball season (High School or Summer)?

Miller: My greatest memory from high school ball was during my sophomore year and the game we played against Parkway West High School; I hit three doubles and had eight RBIs in that game. The best memory from summer ball was hitting a triple off the batters eye at Mizzou and then n hitting a home run over the 375 sign in right field in my next at bat.

PBR: What is your most memorable moment in baseball so far in your life?

Miller: My most memorable moment was winning the World Series in 8^th grade for the Rawlings Red Sox in Colorado.

PBR: What are your thoughts on the implementation of BBCOR bats from both a hitting and pitching perspective?

Miller: Its funny at the beginning of the season I really thought the BBCOR bats would be a challenge at the plate. But as the season progressed they are no different from the old bats. You still have to put a good swing on the ball to square it up. People still hit homeruns and balls continue to fly into gaps, it's just different because last year deep fly balls were home runs. And now this year you really have to hit the ball perfectly for it to leave the stadium. I’m sure most pitchers were happy about the change because there are less homeruns.

To see Turner's bio and videos, click here.