Faith-Based Baseball Team Finds Home in Eagle River

EAGLE RIVER - You can't have a summer in Alaska without the Alaska Baseball League. This year there is a new team on the block - a group of guys who say the game is about so much more than what's going on on the field.

They're not your typical bunch of college athletes. The Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks are focused in more ways than one. They combine their love of baseball with their faith in god to produce a pretty competitive team.

Make no mistake about this team's confidence, because even though the Chinooks may be the Alaska Baseball League’s newest addition, what they are bringing is a constant in their lives. Just ask the Turbin brothers, J.J. and the younger Drew. They are committed Christians who play serious ball.

“College baseball is all about baseball and baseball is put on a pedestal,” said J.J. Turbin, an outfielder for the team. “You feel like if you don't perform then your going to get booted, but here with AIA, it’s not an afterthought, but it definitely puts it in perspective and I just wanted him to learn that. A lot of people maybe look at it as a shelter, but it’s not like that at all.”

“All these guys have real problems, everybody's dealing with stuff and we are always trying to live our lives to glorify God.” Just days into his adventure Drew Turbin is already picking that up.

Their drive for the game is driven by something deeper. “The spiritual side of it, within the first week, it's kind of been blown out of the water and stuff that gets brought up, it pretty cool,” said Drew, who plays second base.

“Being with other guys who are doing the same thing also sharing their faith kind of makes it more comfortable,” said Griffin Gum, an outfielder.

“Bad calls, things like that, I mean we are all competitive and want to win of course we get into the game, but life's way bigger than baseball,” said J.J. Turbin.

It's a message they hope to share with their fans. “We've always got our gear on and people are always coming up, and saying good luck, and with you the best this season and the support has been great."