Kansas City, Mo.– Warren Turner, the all-time wins leader in baseball at Missouri Southern State University, will be inducted into the MIAA Hall of Fame, the league announced today.
This year’s Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held on June 6, 2013 at the Kansas City Public Library – Plaza Branch, 4801 Main Street in Kansas City, Mo. The event will be held in the Truman Forum Auditorium. Tickets for the event are available by visiting www.themiaa.com/sb_output.aspx?form=4 and filling out the form. Tickets will be given out on a first come, first serve basis.
Turner coached at Southern from 1977-2007 and is the all-time wins leader in the history of MSSU baseball. With 852 career victories he also ranks 15th all-time in NCAA history. During his tenure, Turner took five teams to national tournaments. His 1978 squad finished second to Emporia State in the NAIA World Series at St. Joseph, Mo., and Turner was named NAIA national coach of the year that season. Turner’s 1986 and 1987 squads competed in the NAIA World Series at Lewiston, Idaho, finishing seventh and fifth, respectively.
He coached MSSU to a pair of NCAA Division II World Series at Montgomery, Ala., with the Lions finishing as the national runner-up in 1991 and finishing fifth the following year. He led MSSU to the CSIC title in 1986, MIAA south division championships in 1990, 1991 and 1992 and MIAA titles in 1991 and 1992. His teams advanced to the NCAA-II regional tournament four times, finishing first in 1990 and 1991, Turner has been named conference Coach of the Year three times (CSIC in 1986 and MIAA in 1991 and 1992).
He was the NCAA Regional Coach of the Year in 1991 and 1992; NAIA District 16 Coach of the Year in 1978, 1985, 1986 and 1987; and NAIA National Coach of the Year in 1978. Turner was elected to the NAIA Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2004 and into the ABCA Hall of Fame in 2008. He also is a member of the MSSU Athletics Hall of Fame.
Turner is the fourth individual inducted into the MIAA Hall of Fame from Missouri Southern, joining Rod Smith, Sallie Beard, Pat Lipira, as well as the 1992 MSSU Softball Division II National Championship Team.