When he was in high school, Adrian Turner helped the St. Joseph baseball team win a pair of WIAA state championships in 2005 and 2006.

By all appearances, the smooth left-hander hasn’t lost his postseason touch.

Playing at Grambling State University in Grambling, La., Turner led the Tigers to their first Southwestern Athletic Conference title since 1985.

In the championship game of the SWAC Tournament on Sunday at Fairgrounds Field in Shreveport, La., Grambling overwhelmed Alcorn State, 15-2, to automatically qualify for the NCAA Tournament. The game was broadcast on ESPNU.

Tournament MVP

Selected as the tournament MVP, Turner started on the mound for the Tigers in the finale and didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning when his team already held a 5-0 lead. Turner finished with a seven-hit complete game. His 111-pitch, nine-inning gem included one walk and seven strikeouts.

After recording the final out, Turner found himself in the middle of a wild celebration.

“There were about two or three piles on the mound,” he said, when reached on the team bus. “Fortunately, I wasn’t on the bottom of any of them.

“Most of us weren’t even born when they won the last one in 1985. That’s a real long time ago.”

Getting hot at right time

In the opening round of the tourney on Wednesday, Turner picked up the win in an 8-4 victory over second-seeded Mississippi Valley State. He allowed two runs on five hits and four walks in five innings while striking out three.

Grambling (22-30 overall) finished 10-14 in the SWAC in the regular season.

“I wouldn’t say this was an upset,” Turner said. “We have three or four seniors who redshirted last year. We knew what we had. Everybody else just didn’t know.”

In 14 starts this season, Turner is 5-5 with a team-low 5.90 ERA. He has 44 walks and 62 strikeouts in 90 innings.

Also a first baseman when he isn’t pitching, Turner is batting .317 (26-for-82) with three doubles, two home runs and 17 RBI.

“As long as I’m able to play and get on the field,” Turner said, “I’m happy with anything that I can do.”