Christopher Turpin collects Greater New Orleans Amateur Athlete of the Month Honors

NEW ORLEANS – Christopher Turpin from the New Orleans Boosters baseball club has been selected as the Greater New Orleans Amateur Athlete of the Month for August. Monthly award-winners are chosen in voting by the Greater New Orleans Sports Award Selection Committee, sponsored by the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

Greater New Orleans Amateur Athletes of the Month

Turpin, a sophomore at Delgado Community College, helped pitched the New Orleans Boosters to the 2017 All-American Amateur Baseball Association (AAABA) National Championship in Johnstown, Pa. In the second game of the tournament (against Maryland State), Turpin pitched a complete game shutout, pitching 7.0 innings with six strikeouts, no walks, and allowing only two hits, the only Maryland State base runners of the game. In the championship game against Johnstown, Turpin pitched the final three innings in relief of starter Jonathan Ebersole. Turpin faced ten batters, striking out three and walking only one to earn the save and the 2017 AAABA National Title.

In total, Turpin faced 33 batters in two appearances, struck out nine batters, walked one, and allowed only two hits. The Boosters’ pitching staff never trailed to any of their six opponents, compiling a 1.26 ERA as a staff. 2017 marked the New Orleans franchise’s twenty-sixth appearance in a AAABA championship game and 15th national title.

Turpin edged Tyler Cook for the honor. Cook led the Jefferson Parish Recreation Department’s East Team to the Dixie Junior Boys (13-year-olds) World Series title in Bluffton, S.C. Cook went 14-for-26 (.538) and set several Dixie Junior Boys World Series records, including home runs (5) and grand slams (2).

Also nominated for the August honor were Baylor basketball standout Kalani Brown and Destrehan High baseball star Landon Marceaux. Brown, a former star at Salmen High standout, helped the Team USA U23 team to the Gold Medal in the U24 Four Nations Play in Tokyo, Japan. Marceaux, heading into his senior year at Destrehan, had an outstanding showcase tournament in Florida in early August and then was selected to Team USA’s 18-under select team at the end of the month.

The Greater New Orleans Sports Selection Committee has been selecting an Amateur Athlete of the Month each month since 1957. The athlete must be a native of the greater New Orleans area or must compete for a team in the metropolitan region in order to be eligible. Each of the monthly award winners will be honored in the summer at the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Ceremony, hosted by the Allstate Sugar Bowl.