Wisconsin Baseball Central Interview Series: Oak Creek’s Doran Turchin, Illinois

Picture Credit: Oak Creek Now

OAK CREEK, Wis.-

Oak Creek, one of the powerhouses in the WIAA’s summer baseball season, routinely churns out star player after star player. Doran Turchin, a senior outfielder for the Knights, is committed to play baseball at the University of Illinois next year. I spoke with Doran about his career thus far, his recruitment, and more.

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Spencer Flaten (Lead Writer at Wisconsin Baseball Central): What was the recruiting process like for you? What was it about Illinois that appealed to you?
Doran Turchin: It wasn’t too stressful for me. I wanted to find the right school for me. Illinois has great coaches, facilities, and it felt like home.

SF: You’ll be playing in the Big Ten next year. What are your expectations/thoughts about that?
DT: I’m super excited, it’s one of the best conferences in the nation and I have high expectations for our success at Illinois.

SF: A lot of guys who go to schools that play WIAA summer baseball choose to skip the WIAA season altogether and play with travel teams instead. Why did you choose to play for Oak Creek?
DT: You only get to live in high school once. I have a great coach, good friends that I have played with since my youth, and we have a successful program.

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SF: You’ve been on the big stage plenty of times throughout your high school career, winning a state championship as a freshman and playing at the state tournament again last year. What were those experiences like?
DT: They were once in a lifetime experiences and they will always be some of my top memories [from high school].

SF: You earned 1st team all-state honors last summer after having one of the best individual seasons in Wisconsin. What were some of the keys to your success last year?
DT: Hard work in the off season, my own drive and determination, and great role models always pushing me.

SF: You’ll be joined at Illinois by a few Wisconsinites over the next few years: Brendan Meissner from West De Pere, Ty Weber from Menomonee Falls, and Cyrillo Watson from South Milwaukee. What’s your relationship like with those guys?
DT: I played with Brendan at the University of Indiana for Prep Baseball Report’s Midwest Future games. I always compete against and have played with Ty Weber. Cyrillo is one of my guys that I have played & traveled with on my Hitters team*.

SF: What are your expectations for this upcoming summer? Is a return trip to state a possibility for Oak Creek?
DT: Yes [it is], and we expect that [we’ll be back at state this summer].