Turrentine commits to play baseball at Big Bend Community College

On Monday, Feb. 6, Weiser baseball standout Dylan Turrentine signed a letter of intent to play baseball at Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake, Wash.

 He was joined by family, friends, teammates, coaches, and others who gathered to witness the occasion in the foyer at Weiser High School.

 The Big Bend campus is located about 100 miles southwest of Spokane. The Vikings compete in the Northwest Athletic Conference.

 “We love having the opportunity to do this; we don’t get to do this very often,” said WHS Athletic Director Tyler Grant, addressing the crowd. “We are really proud of you (Dylan) for working to get the opportunity to take this next step at the community college level. I hope you go there for a couple of years and have a great experience and use that opportunity to bolt yourself to a four-year college somewhere.”

 Grant commented that baseball at the community college level is a great steppingstone for other things.

 “That’s one of the unique things about baseball; Community college baseball is a little different than a lot of community college level sports,” he said. “There are some pretty high-level kids that take the opportunity to do that, so you are going to get some pretty high-level baseball, so we are proud of you and excited for you.”

 Turrentine, who is a pitcher, said he has not yet decided on a specific major but is leaning toward business. He said a big part of his choice to attend Big Bend was its size.

 “I talked to a few coaches, but Big Bend really showed a ton of interest and I loved everything about it. The school is small, and I’ve always gone to small schools. I love the environment and what they have to offer and the way the coaches treat their players; it’s amazing.”

 “I’m not surprised; he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his older brother,” said dad, Justin. “It’s something he’s always wanted to do since he was young. We are proud of him. He’s worked hard to get here.”

 Grandparents Ed and Dianna Petero were also on hand to see Turrentine sign on the dotted line.

 “I’m so proud of him; he’s a really good kid,” said Ed.

 “He comes to our house for lunch almost every day,” Dianna added.

 Turrentine said that the hard work continues, including trips to the gym to bulk up a little.

 “I’ve been working out four to five days a week; before, I didn’t go to the gym at all,” he said. “When they first saw me, I was 155 pounds and now I’m 175, so I’ve put on 20 pounds.”

 He said the extra weight will help his game, specifically with the speed of his delivery.

 “That size will help my performance, help reduce stress on my arm,” he said. “I’m also hitting really heavy on my mechanics.”

 Turrentine said he will join his team sometime in September.

 “Everybody else is starting school earlier than us and we start a lot later, but get out later, too,” he said. “But for me, that means I get a four-and-a-half-month long summer – Haha!”