SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — The Schaumburg Boomers roster now stands at eight after Manager Jamie Bennett today announced the signings of former Lake Erie Crushers outfielder Raphael Turner and Norfolk State rookie infielder Brandon Hairston.

Turner, 25, becomes the second member of the Boomers to bring professional experience with him to Schaumburg having spent part of the 2010 season and Spring Training in 2011 with the Lake Erie Crushers after a collegiate career at Division I Radford University in Virginia. Turner appeared in 43 games with the Crushers in 2010, collecting 22 hits including 9 doubles. Turner posted .359 on-base percentage thanks in large part to 27 walks against 31 strikeouts in Lake Erie adding 13 stolen bases as well.

A graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington, D.C. where he was named to the Washington Post Honorable Mention All-Metro Team as senior, Turner was slowed by injuries in his first and last year on the Radford campus playing just two full seasons as a member of the Highlanders Baseball Team. A career .266 hitter at the Big South Conference school, Turner’s best year was his junior campaign where he batted .288 overall with an impressive .325 average with runners on base and .362 with two outs. 

Hairston, 22, was named the CO-MVP of the baseball team at Norfolk State University after being named to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference All-Conference Second Team as well as the MEAC All-Tournament Team in 2011. At Norfolk State, Hairston is currently in the top ten for career runs scored, hits, singles and total bases. Hairston also holds a number of records for the Spartans including hits in game (6) and career fielding percentage (.986) and ranks second in career walks (99) and career doubles (45).

A .326 hitter in college, Hairston boats 207 hits in a Spartans uniform including 45 doubles, six triples and 15 home runs in 183 games. Hairston collected 123 runs batted it and was 27-31 in stolen base chances during his career as well. Arguably his best season came in 2011 as a senior when Hairston held a .365 average and walked 37 times against just 26 strikeouts.

With the additions of Turner and Hairston, the Boomers have eight players signed to contracts for the Inaugural Season of Boomers Baseball. Both players with join pitcher Matt Collins; infielders Tyler Boling, Andrew Cohn and Drew Heithoff and outfielders Nate Baumann and John Wagle as part of an at most 34-man roster when the Boomers open Spring Training in early May in Schaumburg, Ill.

The Boomers are an expansion franchise in the Independent Frontier League comprised of 14 teams throughout the Midwest. The 96-game regular season schedule includes 48 contests at the Schaumburg Baseball Stadium, the home of the Schaumburg Boomers beginning in May 2012. For more information on the Boomers, check out www.boomersbaseball.com.