Everyone has heard the phrase “the early bird gets the worm,” but that treat is not only reserved for a.m. risers. In the case of college athletics, batters who get on base can hope for a similar snack!
A gummy worm is just one of many fun treats the Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC) baseball players can look forward to as they start the 2024-2025 season, courtesy of new head baseball coach Jimmy Turk.
A native of Owasso, Okla., Turk joins CGCC and the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC) Conference to lead the Coyote Baseball Team after four seasons at Oral Roberts University (ORU), a Division I school in Tulsa, Okla. Turk recently finished his fourth season as an Assistant Baseball Coach at ORU this spring, coaching first base and assisting with recruiting efforts.
Turk had great success at ORU, as the 2023 team went to the Men’s College World Series for the first time in 45 years, going 52-14 on the season. But if you look him up, you might find more about gummy worms than stats! As MLB News reported earlier this summer, while Turk coached at ORU, every player that got a base hit was rewarded with a gummy worm if they made it to or past first. That playfulness brought a lot of attention on social media, but more importantly, added some fun for the team. You could say he wormed his way into their hearts.
Now Turk brings his brand of fun to CGCC Athletics. As the new CGCC Baseball Coach, Turk will work to lead the Coyotes in their quest for the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) World Series. The Yotes are coming off a strong year, having played in the Region 1 Championship and boasting the ACCAC Player of the Year (Easton Bryant). He’s no stranger to Arizona baseball, previously an assistant coach at South Mountain Community College (SMCC) in Phoenix, Ariz., for five years. CGCC is excited to welcome him back along with his wife Krista and son Kingston.
Learn more about CGCC Athletics at www.cgc.edu/athletics. Let’s go, Yotes!
Coach Turk with wife Krista and son Kingston